Mariners Place Cal Raleigh On Injured List
The Mariners have placed catcher Cal Raleigh on the 10-day injured list due to an oblique strain. Fellow catcher Jhonny Pereda has been recalled from Triple-A Tacoma to take his spot on the roster. It’s the first IL placement of Raleigh’s big league career. Seattle also reinstated Jose A. Ferrer from the paternity list and optioned fellow southpaw Josh Simpson to Tacoma.
There’s no immediate timetable for Raleigh’s return. Daniel Kramer of MLB.com notes that he’ll receive a more thorough evaluation tomorrow when the club returns to Seattle. Raleigh has been attempting to play through pain in his oblique for more than two weeks now. He has only two hits in his past 49 trips to the plate, which has tanked his season batting line to .161/.243/.317.
Raleigh’s recent nosedive, coupled with a slow start to the season as well, have contributed to a pedestrian 21-23 record for the Mariners. Seattle had a particularly tough stretch in early April, dropping seven of eight games. They’ve played better since, with a 17-13 record over the past month. They’re currently two games back of the A’s for the division lead (and a half-game behind the Rangers as well).
Raleigh, of course, was the American League MVP runner-up in 2025, when he became the first catcher to ever hit 60 homers in a season. Raleigh’s .247/.359/.589 slash was 61% better than league-average, by measure of wRC+. Last year was his third straight season with 30-plus homers and fourth straight with 27 or more. It’s not clear if he was dealing with any kind of physical issue early in the season, but he clearly hasn’t performed anywhere close to his typical standards.
In his place, the M’s will rely on a light-hitting tandem of Mitch Garver and Pereda. Garver was a potent offensive force from 2018-23, which helped him land a two-year, $24MM deal with thee Mariners ahead of the 2024 season. His bat went south immediately upon signing in Seattle, however. He slashed .187/.290/.341 in 720 plate appearances over the life of that deal. Garver returned on a minor league pact this past offseason, made the club despite a poor spring showing, and has now slashed .167/.344/.188 in 61 trips to the plate.
Pereda, 30, has played in parts of three major league seasons. He’s taken 123 plate appearances and delivered a middling .248/.303/.301 line in that time. Pereda has consistently hit Triple-A pitching, however — this season included. He’s opened the year with a hefty .321/.414/.417 slash in exactly 100 plate appearances with the Rainiers.
We’ll learn more about the severity of Raleigh’s strain in the days ahead, but even Grade 1 strains (the lowest on a scale of one to three) can sideline players for upwards of a month. It’s likely this will require a good bit more than a minimum stint for Raleigh.
Mariners To Designate José Suarez For Assignment
The Mariners are designating left-hander José Suarez for assignment, reports Ari Alexander of Boston 7 News. Seattle will activate Bryce Miller from the 15-day injured list to start tomorrow’s game against the Astros. They needed to drop someone from the pitching staff in a corresponding move.
Suarez, who is out of minor league options, winds up being the roster casualty. (Seattle will also activate Jose A. Ferrer from the paternity list within the next day or two, so that’ll push someone else from the middle relief corps back to the minors.) Suarez made just one appearance in an M’s uniform, allowing a run on two hits and a couple walks over two innings. They’d claimed him off waivers from the Braves on May 3.
Between Atlanta and Seattle, the 28-year-old southpaw carries a 6.38 earned run average through 18 1/3 innings. He has punched out an above-average 27% of opponents but issued walks at a near-16% rate. Suarez had been a capable strike-thrower early in his career as a starter with the Angels. That has changed over the past few seasons.
Suarez is playing on a $900K arbitration salary that lands a little north of the league minimum. He’s capable of working multiple innings out of the bullpen but would require an active roster spot if another team claims him. The Mariners have five days to trade him or try to run him through outright waivers. If he clears waivers, Suarez would have the right to decline an outright assignment in favor of free agency. He’d forfeit his remaining salary to do so, however, so it’s likelier he’d report to Triple-A Tacoma if no other team carries him on the MLB roster.
The Mariners are moving to a six-man rotation with Miller’s return. They’ll drop to a seven-man bullpen as a result. Alex Hoppe has worked multiple innings on a couple occasions. Cooper Criswell has ample long relief experience as well, but he’s pitching his way towards the back of the bullpen in shorter high-leverage stints.
Mariners Recall Domingo González For MLB Debut
The Mariners on Monday recalled righty Domingo González from Triple-A Tacoma, per a club announcement. Lefty Jose A. Ferrer has been placed on the paternity list in a corresponding roster move. González will be making his major league debut when he first takes the mound.
A waiver claim out of the Braves organization last August, González has rebounded from last year’s middling numbers with a big start to his 2026 season. After posting a combined 4.47 ERA, 20% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate between the Atlanta and Seattle organizations in 2025 (Double-A and Triple-A combined), he’s pitched 15 frames of relief and notched a tidy 1.80 ERA. González has fanned 23.7% of his opponents and cut his walk rate to an immaculate 3.4%. He’s faced 59 hitters and has the same number of walks/hits allowed (14) as strikeouts recorded. Half the batted balls against González this season have been grounders — up from 44% last year.
The 6′, 185-pound González works off a classic four-seamer/slider pairing. He’s averaged 93.1 mph on the heater this year and is sitting 85.3 mph on his slider. It’s not an overpowering profile from a velocity standpoint, but González has generated chases on balls off the plate at a 30.5% that’s about a percentage point north of the major league average and logged a 12.7% swinging-strike rate that’s nearly two percentage points north of par in MLB.
This is the second of three minor league option seasons for González. He can be freely shuttled between Seattle and Tacoma for the remainder of this year and next, although with several key injuries in the Mariner relief corps at the moment, all of Seattle’s depth arms have some opportunity to make an impression. The M’s have been without hard-throwing sinker specialist Carlos Vargas all season, and they’ve lost Matt Brash (lat inflammation) and Gabe Speier (shoulder inflammation) to the 15-day IL recently. Neither Brash nor Speier is necessarily expected to be out long term, but their absence has opened at least short-term windows for not only González but also Alex Hoppe, Nick Davila and Josh Simpson.
Mariners To Reinstate Bryce Miller, Adjust Rotation
Right-hander Bryce Miller will make his Mariners season debut on Wednesday against the Astros, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Miller opened the year on the injured list after straining an oblique in the spring. Divish adds that Seattle will initially go to a six-man rotation, then potentially move to a piggyback situation with Miller and right-hander Luis Castillo.
Injuries have derailed Miller in back-to-back seasons. An elbow issue slowed him for much of 2025. The righty first went on the IL with elbow inflammation in mid-May, but returned after less than three weeks. He made two starts, then went right back on the injured list. Miller came back in August. He remained healthy to close the year and contributed some important innings in the postseason.
Miller made it through just one Spring Training appearance before going down with the oblique injury. His absence opened the door for Emerson Hancock. The former prospect has had chances in the rotation in recent seasons, but they have never amounted to much success. Hancock had a 4.50 ERA or worse in each of his three years as an occasional member of Seattle’s staff.
The 2026 campaign has been a complete reversal for the 26-year-old Hancock. He’s been one of the more surprising breakouts of the young season. Hancock had a mid-2.00s ERA with more than a strikeout per inning heading into Friday’s outing against the White Sox. He allowed five earned runs over six innings in Chicago, but still emerged with his third win. MLBTR’s Steve Adams dug into Hancock’s stellar season in this article for Front Office subscribers.
A decision on Hancock and the rest of the rotation was coming as Miller neared his return. Instead of bumping Hancock or the struggling Castillo, Seattle is keeping everyone in the mix, at least for now. As Divish points out, the club doesn’t have an off day until May 21. Rolling with a six-man rotation will afford the group some extra rest during an arduous stretch of the calendar.
By performance, Castillo deserves to be booted from the group. The righty tossed six scoreless innings against the Yankees in his season debut. Since then, he’s been crushed for 24 earned runs over six outings. Castillo ranks in the fourth percentile for average exit velocity and in the seventh percentile for hard-hit rate. The 33-year-old might be hitting the wall at this stage of his career. Castillo is still due $22.75MM next season, plus $25MM in 2028 if certain thresholds are met, so Seattle is incentivized to find a way for him to add value. The piggyback setup with Miller might help Castillo get back on track.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
Astros Claim Rhylan Thomas
The Astros have claimed outfielder Rhylan Thomas off waivers from the Mariners, as announced by both teams. Houston moved right-hander Hunter Brown from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL in order to clear space for Thomas on the 40-man roster.
The Mariners designated Thomas for assignment earlier this week, as the M’s made a waiver claim of their own in obtaining Jose Suarez from the Braves. An 11th-round pick of the Mets in the 2022 draft, Thomas was dealt to Seattle for Ryne Stanek in advance of the 2024 trade deadline, and Thomas got his first taste of the big leagues over a three-game call-up just over a year ago. Thomas got a hit and a walk over his 10 plate appearances in a Mariners uniform before being optioned back to Triple-A.
Thomas hit .325/.380/.411 over 617 PA for Triple-A Tacoma last season, but those numbers have fallen off considerably this year, down to .260/.313/.328 over 145 PA. The drop from a .332 BABIP in 2025 to a .269 mark this season is certainly a factor, as since Thomas is a contact-and-speed type of hitter, some bad batted-ball luck can have a heavy impact on his production.
Houston was still intrigued enough to make a waiver claim, as the Astros were known to be looking for outfield help even before injuries started to whittle down what was already a thin depth chart. Thomas is also a left-handed hitter, which is helpful since the Astros’ lineup is mostly right-handed bats. Thomas has two minor league options remaining, allowing the Astros some flexibility in moving him back and forth from Triple-A as the situation may warrant.
A Grade 2 shoulder strain sent Brown to the 15-day IL on April 2, and the 60-day placement still adheres to that initial placement date. It doesn’t materially change Brown’s return date, as the ace right-hander wasn’t expected back anyway until late May at the absolute earliest, so the 60-day IL move now firmly keeps Brown sidelined until early June. Brown threw a bullpen session yesterday in the latest step in his throwing progression.
The Mariners’ Latest Pitching Success Story
For years, the Mariners' largely homegrown rotation has been one of the envies of teams around the league. Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Bryan Woo have all made an All-Star team in the past couple years. All three have a career ERA of 3.61 or better with better-than-average strikeout and walk rates alike. Bryce Miller hasn't had as much success relative to his teammates, but he posted a 3.52 ERA with quality strikeout and walk rates in his first 56 MLB starts before an injury-ruined 2025 season (90 1/3 innings, 5.68 ERA, two IL stints for elbow inflammation).
Veteran righty Luis Castillo wasn't signed and developed by the Mariners, but Seattle pried him from Cincinnati in a 2022 trade for a package headlined by infield prospects Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo. The M's quickly extended Castillo on a five-year, $108MM deal. In parts of five seasons with Seattle, his 3.61 ERA is right in line with the previously mentioned group (and a near-identical match to his 3.62 mark in six seasons with the Reds).
No organization in baseball has had more continuity in its major league rotation than the Mariners since this wave of pitchers arrived on the scene at T-Mobile Park. They've been consistent, productive and, with the exception of Miller's recent injury issues, largely durable. That's been key for the Mariners, because one less-talked-about aspect of their strong rotation is that the depth behind the group hasn't been great.
From 2022-25, the quintet of Gilbert, Kirby, Woo, Miller and Castillo started 75% of the Mariners' games. (Castillo wasn't even acquired until July 29 of the 2022 season.) The Mariners had rotation cameos from Robbie Ray (signed to a five-year deal, missed the second season due to Tommy John surgery, then traded to the Giants), Chris Flexen (26 starts on the back end of his low-cost contract) and Marco Gonzales (a holdover from the prior rotation group who was eventually traded while injured). But for the most part, it's been the same group of five, which has helped to mask the fact that the bulk of their top prospects in recent years have all been position players.
One hopeful addition to the group, for years, was right-hander Emerson Hancock. The No. 6 overall pick in 2020, Hancock was never touted as a future ace. He was an advanced college arm with above-average stuff and good command, one whom Baseball America tabbed as a potential No. 3 starter -- "and perhaps better if he refines his breaking pitches."
Instead, Hancock's development went the other direction. His command worsened. He lost some life on his fastball as he battled shoulder troubles and a lat strain. In general, he became more hittable. Hancock's strikeout rate plummeted when he reached Triple-A in 2024, though he still posted a mid-3.00s ERA. He was north of 5.00 in 2025.
Between some infrequent and inconsistent big league stints from 2023-25, Hancock totaled 162 2/3 innings with a 4.81 ERA, one of the lowest strikeout rates in baseball (15.6%) among pitchers with that many innings and a good-not-great walk rate (7.8%). He looked like a fifth or sixth starter -- the type of arm who oscillates in and out of a rotation before possibly settling into a bullpen role or beginning to bounce around the league as a swingman.
There weren't many tangible signs of a breakout last year. Hancock's average fastball climbed to a career-high 94.9 mph, although that was at least moderately skewed by a move to the 'pen later in the season. He sat 94.6 mph as a starter in 2025 -- still up from his previous career-best 93.4 mph -- and 97.2 mph as a reliever. But even with the velo increase, Hancock's swinging-strike rate fell. His opponents' contact rate climbed. His 8.1% walk rate was a career-worst mark. Hancock had the look of a depth starter and was entering his final option year in 2026. The long-term outlook wasn't great.
And then spring training rolled around.
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AL Injury Notes: Raleigh, Suarez, Jenkins, Smith
Cal Raleigh has missed the Mariners‘ last two games after he felt soreness in his right side in the aftermath of Friday’s game, and the team and the catcher are still waiting on MRI results to determine the extent (if any) of the injury. Speaking with the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish and other reporters today, Raleigh said he felt better “compared to where it was feeling postgame Friday and [Saturday] early. Very positive, very encouraging. So that’s kind of where we’re at right now.”
As a precaution, the Mariners called up catcher Jhonny Pereda from Triple-A on Saturday when Will Wilson was placed on the 10-day IL due to a thumb fracture. Infielder Ryan Bliss joined the taxi squad today as further infield depth in Wilson’s place if the decision was made to place Raleigh on the IL, and the M’s might have to make that call by tomorrow to ensure that Raleigh’s IL stint can start within the three-day backdating period.
More on some of the many injuries that arose during today’s action in both the majors and minors…
- A hamstring strain forced Ranger Suarez out of today’s game after four innings, but the Red Sox left-hander told The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey that he is hopeful the injury isn’t serious enough to cost him even his next start. Suarez will stay in Boston to rest while the Sox make a three-day mini-trip to Detroit, and an MRI isn’t planned. It’s a situation to monitor over the next few days, as the Red Sox already have six starters (including Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray) on the injured list. On top of those concerns, manager Chad Tracy told reporters that the team may use an opener ahead of Brayan Bello on Tuesday, so the struggling Bello can avoid the left-handed bats atop Detroit’s lineup.
- Top Twins prospect Walker Jenkins left today’s Triple-A game with a left shoulder injury after colliding with the outfield wall after making a catch. Jenkins was in obvious discomfort in the aftermath, and he’ll undergo testing to determine the extent of the injury. The fifth overall pick of the 2023 draft, Jenkins has hit .250/.389/.386 over 108 Triple-A plate appearances this season, and is expected to make his MLB debut at some point in 2026 if this shoulder problem doesn’t scuttle those plans.
- Shane Smith will miss at least two weeks on the Triple-A injured list due to a right rotator cuff strain, as the White Sox announced today. The injury is another setback for Smith, who posted a 10.80 ERA in his first two big league starts this season and then a 5.27 ERA in 13 2/3 Triple-A innings after being optioned to Charlotte.
Mariners Claim Jose Suarez, Designate Rhylan Thomas For Assignment
The Mariners claimed left-hander Jose Suarez off waivers from the Braves, the club announced. Outfielder Rhylan Thomas was designated for assignment. Seattle’s 40-man roster remains full.
Atlanta moved on from Suarez as part of a bullpen reshuffling heading into a series against the Rockies this weekend. The 28-year-old had struggled to a 6.61 ERA over eight outings (one start). The Braves mostly deployed Suarez, a former starter, in multi-inning stints. He recorded a three-inning save against the Phillies in mid-April. Suarez had a career-best 26.6% strikeout rate over 16 1/3 frames, but it came with a discouraging 15.2% walk rate.
Under the hood, there are a couple of intriguing factors to entice a team looking for bullpen depth. Suarez has an xFIP and SIERA right around 4.00. He’s averaging 93.4 mph on his four-seamer, matching a career-best mark from 2025. Suarez is using his changeup at more than a 30% clip for the first time since 2020. The pitch has generated a solid 38.3% whiff rate. It’s responsible for 13 of Suarez’s 21 strikeouts.
Seattle acquired Thomas from the Mets around the 2024 trade deadline for reliever Ryne Stanek. He briefly debuted with the club in 2025, going 1-for-8 across three games. The 26-year-old outfielder has scuffled to a 67 wRC+ in 31 games at Triple-A this season.
New York selected Thomas in the 11th round of the 2022 draft. A college bat who was already 22 when he entered the pro ranks, Thomas hit the ground running in the lower rungs of the minors. He slashed .328/.407/.425 across three levels in 2023, closing the year at Double-A. Thomas posted a 131 wRC+ in his second stint with Binghamton the following year, earning a bump to Triple-A. He hit a bit of a roadblock at Syracuse, but picked things back up after making the move to Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate. He slashed .325/.380/.411 with a career-high 35 steals with Tacoma last year.
The lefty-swinging Thomas tore the cover off the ball this spring, hitting .486 with six extra-base hits in 43 plate appearances. Despite the strong performance, he was on the outside looking in for a big-league roster spot. Seattle already had Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone as left-handed outfielders, with Rob Refsnyder as a platoon option against southpaws. Veteran Connor Joe got the call when Victor Robles went down with an injury early in the season.
Photo courtesy of Dale Zanine, Imagn Images
Mariners To Select Nick Davila
The Mariners are selecting right-hander Nick Davila‘s contract from Double-A Arkansas, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reports. Lefty Josh Simpson is being optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move. The M’s have an open spot on their 40-man roster.
The 27-year-old Davila will be making his big league debut whenever he appears in a game. It is a little unusual to see a team promote a player from Double-A rather than Triple-A, but it could be that the Mariners are particularly intrigued by Davila’s red-hot start to the season. Davila has a 2.00 ERA, a 29.4% strikeout rate, and eye-popping walk (2.9%) and grounder (69.6%) rates over nine relief outings in Arkansas this season.
It’s a small sample size, and obviously facing MLB hitters is a much taller order than Double-A competition. But, Davila has shown good control in the past, and he has shown flashes of his ability to miss bats. Even if the Mariners might just be calling on Davila to be a fresh arm in the bullpen for a few days, it’s still a career milestone for the right-hander and an opportunity to show what he can do during what might be a cup of coffee-type of promotion.
Davila began his career as an undrafted free agent with the Tigers in 2020, though Davila would surely have been drafted if the pandemic-shortened 2020 draft had been longer than only five rounds. Davila has been pitched in Seattle’s farm system for the last four seasons, and his 18 2/3 innings with Tacoma in 2023 represents his only taste of Triple-A ball. Injuries sidelined him for most of the 2024 campaign, but Davila returned to post a 3.55 ERA over 50 2/3 Double-A innings in 2025, though with a 10.1% walk rate and only an 18.3K%.
Mariners Notes: Brash, Simpson, Robles, Right Field
The Mariners placed setup man Matt Brash on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 30, before tonight’s series opener against the Royals. He’s dealing with lat inflammation. Seattle recalled lefty Josh Simpson from Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding move.
Brash made an early exit from Wednesday’s game in Minnesota. He threw two pitches before reporting side tightness that led the Mariners to lift him. General manager Justin Hollander told reporters (including Daniel Kramer of MLB.com) that Brash will be shut down for three to five days. He’ll resume throwing early next week and doesn’t seem to be in for a lengthy absence. There’s nothing structurally off.
The seemingly minor injury halts an excellent start to the season for Brash. He has allowed just one unearned run through his first 11 1/3 innings. Although Brash hasn’t had huge swinging strike or ground-ball numbers, he’s second on the team with four holds and has pitched in the highest-leverage situations aside from closer Andrés Muñoz.
Seattle’s bullpen is out to a strong start. Their 3.31 earned run average trails only that of the Rangers and Giants. They’re middle of the pack in strikeouts while ranking ninth in whiff rate. Muñoz has had a couple uncharacteristically poor outings (most notably against the Padres on April 15) but is typically one of the best closers in the game. Gabe Speier, Eduard Bazardo and offseason trade pickup Jose A. Ferrer have pitched well.
Simpson would be lined up for his team debut if he makes it into a game. Seattle acquired him from the Marlins over the offseason. The 28-year-old has fanned 12 over 9 1/3 innings of one-run ball with Tacoma, albeit with six walks. He posted a 7.34 ERA across 31 appearances as a rookie with Miami last season.
In other M’s news, Victor Robles will join Tacoma to begin a rehab assignment on Sunday (relayed by Adam Jude of The Seattle Times). He has been out since April 7 with a pectoral strain. Robles had a slow start over his first five games after a disappointing 2025 season in which he missed most of the year with a dislocated left shoulder.
Luke Raley and Rob Refsnyder have platooned in right field in Robles’ absence. Raley homered in each of the first three games of the season and went on a brief tear in the middle of April. He’s now mired in a 1-27 slump over his last 12 games. Refsnyder has limped to a .135/.214/.297 start through 17 games. Connor Joe gets the nod tonight against K.C. southpaw Cole Ragans.