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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 26: Brendan Donovan #33 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates his solo home run with Cal Raleigh #29 during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at T-Mobile Park on March 26, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

The Seattle Mariners recently got an update on star catcher Cal Raleigh and utility man Brendan Donovan, who are both sidelined. This is the first injury stint of Raleigh’s career. 

Raleigh was shelved with a right oblique injury. Many fans who had been watching his at-bats had thought he was in the midst of the worst rut of his young career. 

AJ Pierzynski of Foul Territory was adamant that oblique injuries are one of the hardest physical ailments to play through. He cited his own experience with the injury during his playing days. 

Since then, the M’s have gotten big updates on Raleigh and Donovan. 

MLB writer Josh Kirshenbaum wrote, “Raleigh, who reportedly began throwing this past Monday in Arizona, swung a bat for the first time since hitting the 10-day IL with a right oblique strain, according to Seattle general manager Justin Hollander, taking 15 swings off a tee from each side of the plate.” 

He continued, “Elsewhere on the injury front, Hollander said that Brendan Donovan — who is on the IL for the second time this season with a left groin strain — is running on an anti-gravity treadmill, with the plan being to graduate to a running program in the next few days. He’s also set to fly to Seattle, likely when the Mariners go back out on the road.” 

According to ESPN, Raleigh is antsy for his return. 

They wrote, “Raleigh, who took his first swings off a tee Friday at the team’s spring training complex in Arizona, was in Seattle ahead of the Mariners’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. Last year’s AL MVP runner-up said he should have a more firm timeline for his recovery by the middle of the upcoming week, which could include getting into rehab games. ‘I’d like to try to get going as soon as possible,’ Raleigh said.”

The Mariners have huge holes in their lineup without Donovan and Raleigh. The former provides a key leadoff option in an otherwise stale top-of-the-order offering. The latter smacked 60 home runs as a backstop last season. Regardless of his abysmal start, he remains a power threat. 

MLB Reacts to Mariners Recent Stretch

Here’s what people have been saying about Seattle: 

Josh Kirshenbaum: “Oh look, the Mariners are hitting home runs again. Cole Young gets on the board with his first homer since April 25, and it’s 1-0 Seattle. Exit velo: 105.4 mph. Distance: 389 feet.” 

Mariner Muse: “The only Mariners pitcher I truly think can do this is Woo if his fastball gets rolling. That said, I also watched Emerson Hancock strike out 14 in person earlier this year (the Mariners lost, of course).” 

Eric Cross: “Ryan Sloan was flawless last night for Double-A Arkansas. 6 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K, 18 Whiffs. The Mariners have two of the Top 5 pitching prospects in baseball in Sloan and Kade Anderson. #TridentsUp.” 

The AL West is Up For Grabs

Even with everything Seattle has endured thus far, they currently sit atop the division. 

With a middling record of 30-29, the M’s lead the way. The rest of the AL West has observed the Mariners’ slow start and matched it every step of the way. 

It’s crazy to think that even though Seattle hasn’t come close to clicking, they’re still in possession of a playoff spot. With the recent positive injury news, things could get even brighter in the coming days.