Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has been placed on the injured list with a right oblique strain ahead of Thursday's series finale against the Houston Astros. The timeline for his return remains unclear pending imaging results.

The injury arrives just 48 hours after Raleigh broke a 0-for-38 skid, a career-worst stretch, with a hit in the seventh inning of Seattle's 10-2 win Tuesday. He played through visible discomfort Wednesday before being pulled late in the game.

"He had to change directions, and it kind of grabbed on him there," manager Dan Wilson told reporters at Daikin Park. "Something like that makes it tricky. It kind of jumps up at you a little bit, and you realize that it's time to take a step back and get fully healthy."

This marks Raleigh's first IL stint since his July 2021 debut. The 29-year-old has appeared in 573 games and logged 4,747 1/3 innings behind the plate, more than any other American League catcher in that span. Only Philadelphia's J.T. Realmuto and the Dodgers' Will Smith have caught more innings MLB-wide since 2021.

Raleigh, last season's AL MVP runner-up, entered 2026 batting .161 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs on a Mariners club expected to contend for a second straight AL West title.

Veteran backstop Mitch Garver is expected to handle the bulk of catching duties. Journeyman Jhonny Pereda was added to the roster to provide depth. Garver has hit .167/.344/.188 across 20 games this season, his third in Seattle.

"He's got a chance to get himself back, get healthy and come back with a lot of the season left," Wilson said.