Cal Raleigh powers another rehab day with two homers for Tacoma, goes five innings behind the plate

Cal Raleigh is getting the kind of rehab work baseball teams hope for: innings behind the plate, plus damage at the plate. In his second assignment of the recovery process with Triple-A Tacoma, the Mariners catcher homered twice and drove in six runs as Tacoma routed the Albuquerque Isotopes 15-3.

Raleigh’s day began with manager-and-coach tracking in mind. He caught a full five innings, and he also took three at-bats, a step that matters because the team is trying to rebuild his rhythm without rushing contact or load. According to game coverage from the Mariners’ minor-league beat, Raleigh did not get many defensive “practice reps” on throws to bases, because Tacoma’s starter held Albuquerque to limited baserunners.

At the plate, the rehab assignment quickly turned into a reminder of the power Raleigh offers when he is healthy. Coverage described Raleigh’s first homer as a two-run shot off a cutter, hit deep to right for what was characterized as a 104 mph drive angle into the trees, helped by conditions blowing out to right at Cheney Stadium.

The second homer expanded the impact, with Raleigh again producing extra-base damage. The Seattle Times reported that, in his four plate appearances across the day, he also hit a grand slam, reinforcing that the batting work is carrying over beyond harmless swings in a limited-at-bat setting.

Tacoma’s pitching also played a central role, but Raleigh’s production dictated the offensive tone. The Mariners farm roundup described a 15-run cushion that grew early, with Raleigh’s combined two homers and six RBI acting as the centerpiece of Tacoma’s scoring. The same reporting noted that Albuquerque did manage a pair of singles at times, and also surrendered a two-run homer of its own, but the Isotopes could not contain Tacoma once Raleigh got rolling.

Beyond the final numbers, the most telling part of a rehab start is how the player is asked to operate under game conditions. Raleigh’s catching also included receiving and decision work: Mariners coverage described him using the challenge system during the game, and it also referenced the mechanics and timing he was building behind the dish during his reps.

Raleigh is working his way back from an oblique strain, according to Seattle-area reporting, and the Mariners have already placed him into a rehab runway that included earlier time with High-A Everett. On June 6, announced the rehab plan and assignment, indicating the organization’s intention to evaluate both his physical readiness and his ability to handle normal baseball demands across a few outings.

What to watch next is whether Raleigh’s timing stays consistent as the reps increase, particularly with the transition from early rehab to a more game-like week. Tacoma is scheduled to face Albuquerque in a multi-game stretch, and continued production alongside full catching innings will likely shape when the Mariners consider the next step for their primary backstop.

Raleigh is working his way back from an oblique strain, according to Seattle-area reporting, and the Mariners have already placed him into a rehab runway that included earlier time with High-A Everett. On June 6, announced the rehab plan and assignment, indicating the organization’s intention to evaluate both his physical readiness and his ability to handle normal baseball demands across a few outings.