Cal Raleigh's Oblique Has the Mariners Holding Their Breath Before Atlanta Comes to Town

The Mariners are limping into a three-game set against the Braves on Monday night, and they might be missing their best hitter. Cal Raleigh sat out the last two games nursing right-side soreness that sent him for an MRI, and his status for the series opener remains up in the air. The defending AL West champs are already in trouble at 16-19 after getting swept by Kansas City, and losing their 60-home-run slugger from last season would be a gut punch they can't afford.

Raleigh Playing It Safe, But Staying Optimistic

Raleigh first felt the discomfort after Friday's game but didn't think much of it until he woke up sore the next morning. "Didn't really think too much of it," he said. "It's normal. Things happen in games throughout the season, but I woke up the next day and it stayed sore, and I let the staff know. I was just trying to play it safe."

The good news? He tested it out Sunday with some swings in the batting cage pregame and felt encouraged. Manager Dan Wilson is taking the cautious approach, assessing day to day. "Cal is continuing to make strides," Wilson said. "He's got a little soreness in the side. We'll continue to look at it and go from there and continue to assess it." Raleigh, who has never landed on the injured list in his six-year career, is determined to keep that streak alive. Sunday felt like a step forward, and Raleigh knows that patience now pays off later in the season.

Momentum Matters, and the M's Don't Have It Right Now

Before the injury scare, Raleigh had actually found his groove. After a slow start, he cranked five homers in a seven-game stretch from April 20-27. But the team around him hasn't caught fire. The Braves come in riding an 25-10 record (the best in baseball) after sweeping Colorado, while Seattle's just-completed series with Kansas City was a complete dud. Getting blanked 4-1 on Sunday wasn't the way to build momentum heading into a marquee matchup.

Monday night features a pair of right-handers: Braves rookie JR Ritchie making his third career start, and Mariners' Logan Gilbert. Ritchie, a Bainbridge Island native, earned the win in his debut April 23 at Washington. Gilbert comes in at 1-3 with a 4.03 ERA but has history against Atlanta, sitting at 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA across two career starts against the Braves.

The Mariners need Raleigh in the lineup and swinging the way he was before the soreness hit. Without him, they're just another below-.500 team trying to claw back. With him healthy and locked in, they're dangerous. Monday night will tell us a lot about which version shows up.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.