The Mariners have never had to play without their All-Star catcher. Here's what they need to have happen while he's out.
The Seattle Mariners got seemingly devastating news on Thursday, as All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh officially hit the injured list for the first time in his career with a right oblique strain.
Raleigh missed a handful of games last week with a similar issue, but gutted it out, only to re-aggravate the injury in Wednesday's loss to the Houston Astros. There is currently no timeline for his return, though these injuries can typically keep players out for a month or more.
This is the first time that Raleigh has ever been on the injured list and he will leave a mega-sized hole in the team's lineup, clubhouse structure and behind the plate.
There is no way to replace Raleigh's 60 home runs from 2025 in the lineup, but remember, the Mariners don't need to replace that. They need to find a way to replace the production he's given this year, which is just .161 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs.
Here are some of the things they can do to help the lineup while Raleigh is out
Keep JP Crawford in the leadoff spot
While the Mariners elected not to do this on Thursday, there is some credence to the idea of keeping Crawford in the leadoff spot and putting Brendan Donovan elsewhere.
Entering play on Thursday, Crawford is hitting .286 in the leadoff spot with a .437 on-base percentage. While Crawford's game has struggled defensively, his ability to get on base has not wavered.
If the team were to keep him at leadoff, it would afford them the opportunity to put Brendan Donovan in the two-hole with Julio Rodriguez, Josh Naylor and Randy Arozarena to follow. Or, they could put Rodriguez in the two hole with Naylor, Arozarena and Donovan in the 3-4-5 spots.
Donovan is more of a run producer than Crawford, so having him in a position to drive home runs with Crawford setting the table feels better than the other way around.
Could the M's call up Colt Emerson?
The Mariners are in need of offensive help with Raleigh on the shelf, and while they don't have an elite catching prospect ready to help the squad, could they turn to the minor league ranks and summon Emerson, who is hitting .257 with seven homers, 25 RBIs and nine stolen bases at Triple-A Tacoma?
They could, but the conundrum remains of where Emerson will play, and who's roster spot he would take.
If he plays third base, then Donovan goes to DH and Arozarena stays in LF, which means only one of Dom Canzone and Luke Raley can be in the lineup. At that point, you aren't really helping things.
If you sent down Leo Rivas, you'd be losing a switch-hitter, would become entirely left-handed in the infield, and would still have the same problem as above.
The obvious answers
The M's will need to pitch better than they have, keeping the opposition's run totals down and allowing them to win more low-scoring games, and the bullpen will have to be able to hold thin leads, something they haven't necessarily done all that well so far.
And offensively, guys will have to step up. It's difficult, but it's really that simple.
We have yet to see the best version of Donovan, Naylor or Arozarena. If the Mariners can get those versions of those players, then they can weather this storm, regardless of how long it lasts. Mitch Garver tapping into his power will be important as well.
The Mariners and Astros will finish out the series on Thursday at 11:10 a.m. PT. Luis Castillo, who has some real pressure on him, will take the mound.
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