SEATTLE — During the Seattle Mariners' eventual 5-1 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, a familiar faced popped up in the home team's dugout.

Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has been rehabbing from a right oblique strain for more than two weeks. He was placed on the injured list May 14 after nursing the injury since the beginning of the month.

Raleigh has spent the majority of his rehab at Seattle's spring training complex in Peoria, Ariz, but returned to the Pacific Northwest on Saturday after working out that morning in Arizona and catching a flight to Seattle.

Raleigh has recently made steps in his rehab. Per an injury update from Mariners general manager Justin Hollander on Friday, the 2025 All-Star took 30 swings — 15 from both sides of the plate. He's also throwing up to 130 feet. 

Raleigh also caught a bullpen from a minor league pitcher while down in Arizona.

The switch-hitting catcher is anxious to get back to work, but his brief time away and watching the team from a viewer's perspective has been a nice change of pace.

While Raleigh has been out, the Mariners started a five-game win streak, beginning with the first of a three-game series against the Athletics on May 25. Seattle will look to make it six-straight wins and a second-consecutive series sweep in the series finale against Arizona at 1:10 p.m. PT on Saturday.

"It's been a lot of fun (to watch)," Raleigh said in a pregame interview Sunday. "I think sitting back and watching, the biggest thing I noticed is probably how talented this team really is. It's so much fun to watch in that sense. Me not being here stinks and I hate it. But sitting back and realizing — I'm like 'gosh, this is a really, really good team.' This team seems to be hitting a good stride right now and it's a lot of fun to watch."

While Raleigh is in Seattle, he will consult with the team's training and medical staff, where they'll determine whether the backstop will continue his rehab or Peoria or stay with the team. With that decision will likely come some clarity on a general timeline for Raleigh's potential, with a tentative idea of when a rehab assignment might be in the cards.

"A lot of it depends on how everything goes and how I'm feeling," Raleigh said. "But I'd like to try and get going as soon as possible. That'll be a discussion with them and rehab games, it's still up in the air. I think for the most part, I'll probably be here for good, though."

Raleigh this season is slashing .161/.243/.317 with a .560 OPS in 41 games and has hit four doubles and seven home runs with 18 RBIs.

"To see him in the clubhouse this morning, smiling, it felt good to just have him around," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said in a pregame interview Sunday. "I know he keeps grinding to get healthy and he's gonna get back as soon as possible. It is just good to have his presence in the clubhouse here, for sure."

Remember to join our MARINERS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Mariners fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!