The Seattle Mariners continue to monitor the recovery progress of two important players, catcher Cal Raleigh and utility standout Brendan Donovan, as both work their way back from injuries. While the organization is encouraged by the improvements each player has made, team officials remain cautious and have not established definitive return dates.
Speaking on Friday, Mariners general manager Justin Hollander provided an update on Raleigh, who is recovering from a right oblique strain. The switch-hitting catcher reached a significant milestone earlier in the day by taking batting practice swings for the first time since suffering the injury. Working in Arizona, Raleigh completed 30 swings off a tee at moderate intensity, splitting the session evenly between the left and right sides of the plate.
According to Hollander, Raleigh is scheduled to continue his rehabilitation with another workout in Arizona before returning to Seattle for an evaluation. The organization will then determine the next phase of his recovery plan.
The Mariners are pleased with Raleigh’s current condition. In addition to swinging a bat, he has continued his defensive work behind the plate and has been throwing without major issues. Hollander noted that Raleigh has been making throws up to approximately 130 feet, another encouraging sign that his recovery is progressing as expected.
However, the focus now is not on increasing the number of swings he takes but rather on gradually raising the intensity of those swings. Raleigh’s latest session was performed at roughly 80 percent effort. The next challenge will be determining how his body responds as he advances toward 90 percent intensity and eventually full-speed swings. Once he clears those stages, he will begin facing more realistic baseball conditions, including machine-pitched balls and eventually live pitching.
The Mariners want to ensure Raleigh experiences no discomfort as the workload increases. Because oblique injuries can be particularly tricky and prone to setbacks, the club is emphasizing patience rather than rushing the process. Hollander indicated that the team should have a better understanding of Raleigh’s timetable within the next week, depending on how his body responds to the upcoming workouts.
Meanwhile, Donovan is also making progress in Arizona as he recovers from a left groin strain. His rehabilitation has centered primarily on rebuilding his running ability. Recently, Donovan has been using an AlterG treadmill, which reduces body weight and allows athletes to exercise with less stress on injured muscles.
The next step in his recovery will likely involve transitioning to a baseball-specific running program. Before that begins, Donovan is expected to return to Seattle for an evaluation while the Mariners prepare for an upcoming road trip. Once cleared, he will start with straight-line running before progressing to more demanding baseball movements such as changing direction, accelerating, and rounding the bases.
For Donovan, the Mariners are less concerned about his ability to hit and more focused on ensuring his running mechanics are fully restored. Groin injuries can easily worsen if a player returns too quickly, and the organization hopes to avoid the kind of setback that previously slowed his recovery.
Both Raleigh and Donovan will need minor-league rehabilitation assignments before rejoining Seattle’s major-league roster. The Mariners are intentionally avoiding setting firm dates for those assignments, preferring to evaluate both players day by day. Team officials believe this approach will allow Raleigh and Donovan to return only when they are truly ready, rather than feeling pressure to meet an artificial deadline.
By taking a patient and individualized approach, Seattle hopes to ensure both players return healthy and capable of contributing for the remainder of the season.
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