Luke Raley’s 2026 season appears to be heading for an abrupt end.
Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reports that the Mariners slugger is expected to miss the rest of the year because of the forearm strain that landed him on the injured list late last month. Seattle said at the time of his IL move Saturday that Raley had been dealing with elbow and forearm discomfort for a while, and the production drop since then has lined up with that explanation.
Raley opened the season on a tear, hitting .280/.345/.587 over the first two months. But even that hot start came with warning signs. He was striking out 31.4% of the time, running a .345 batting average on balls in play and posting a 59.2% contact rate, which left plenty of room for the numbers to cool off.
They did, and then some. From June 1 on, Raley has gone to the plate 121 times and hit just .152/.200/.241.
His strikeout rate rose only about a point, but his BABIP fell to .211 over that stretch. He has only two multi-hit games since June began and has produced just six extra-base hits.
Raley’s swing-and-miss tendencies and platoon issues have always been part of the package, though he has been a lifetime .240/.325/.455 hitter against right-handed pitching. If this is indeed the end of his season, Seattle will have a decision to make in November.
Raley is due a raise from this year’s $2.05MM salary, and while the bump should not be dramatic, this is now back-to-back disappointing seasons after his strong 2024. That puts him squarely in change-of-scenery or non-tender territory.
With Raley likely done for the year, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said deadline pickup Taylor Ward will handle right field the rest of the way. Ward has spent most of recent seasons in left, but he does have nearly 1600 major league innings in right. Dominic Canzone will serve as Seattle’s primary designated hitter down the stretch.
Ward gives the Mariners a bit more stability in the lineup and cuts down on the platoon dependence they had with Raley, who has hit .176/.240/.271 for his career against lefties. The bigger picture still points to an offseason overhaul in the corners.
Ward is a free agent after the season, and so are Randy Arozarena and Victor Robles, whose $9MM club option will be declined. That leaves Seattle with real work to do this winter, and 21-year-old top prospect Lazaro Montes could be in line for a shot at one of those corner spots in 2027.
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