Cal Raleigh scratched as Mariners recall Jhonny Pereda

cal raleigh was scratched from the Seattle Mariners’ lineup before Saturday’s game against the Kansas City Royals on May 3, 2026. Mitch Garver started at catcher instead, and the move sent Jhonny Pereda up from Triple-A Tacoma to fill the roster spot.

Raleigh had been slated to catch and hit second before the late change. He had appeared in all 33 Mariners games this season, with 32 starts, so Seattle lost its most regular catcher just before first pitch.

Garver takes over against Lugo

Garver handled the start behind the plate against Royals right-hander Seth Lugo. Raleigh entered the game hitting.186 with a.652 OPS, seven homers and four doubles, numbers that show how much production Seattle was still getting from the position even before the lineup shift.

The Mariners did not give a reason for the removal. That left the club to switch catchers on the fly, with Pereda now in the organization after signing as a minor league free agent in January.

Pereda’s Tacoma line

Pereda brought a strong Triple-A line with him. In 23 games for Tacoma, he hit.333 with an.844 OPS, two homers and two doubles, along with 11 walks and 12 strikeouts.

He has also seen major league time before, with 50 games over parts of two seasons for the Miami Marlins, Athletics and Minnesota Twins. His career major league line stands at.241 with a.595 OPS, six doubles and no homers.

Wilson joins the injured list

The roster move came alongside another change: infielder Will Wilson went on the 15-day injured list with a fractured left thumb. He had played in two games for Seattle this season and was 1 for 5 with a home run.

For Seattle, the practical fallout was immediate. Raleigh’s late scratch altered the catcher plan for the day, Garver picked up the start, and Pereda moved from Tacoma to the big-league roster while Wilson’s thumb injury opened another spot on the injured list.