Seattle Mariners Make Huge Lineup Decision with Series vs. Brewers in Balance
In this story:
One day after hitting his league-leading 39th home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in a 1-0 win, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is out of the lineup for Wednesday's series finale.
Mitch Garver will do the catching and bat sixth while Jorge Polanco serves as the designated hitter. Seattle has already split the series and has guaranteed itself at least a .500 homestand with the Astros and Brewers. While disappointing to not see Raleigh in the lineup, that fact, coupled with his heavy recent load at the All-Star, makes this decision make more sense.
Matinee rubber match. #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/3RC5cWc7UQ
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 23, 2025
Raleigh will undoubtedly be available off the bench if the M's need him late in the game. The Mariners enter play at 54-47 and five games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West. They hold the No. 2 spot in the American League wild card race, and they are 1.5 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays, who are just outside the playoff race themselves.
Quinn Priester, a former top prospect, will take the mound for Milwaukee. Originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was dealt to the Boston Red Sox in 2024 and dealt to Milwaukee this past April.
After the game, the Mariners will head to Anaheim for four big games with the division-rival Angels. Seattle has a stretch of 17 games in 17 days out of the All-Star break. They are just 3-2 against the Angels this season, and they'll want to have the tiebreaker over as many AL teams as possible.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
NEW PODCAST IS HERE: Brady is back on a Tuesday, talking about the disappointing loss to the Astros on Sunday and the Brewers on Monday. The M's haven't played very clean, so what's gone wrong? Also, Brady is evolving as a fan, but he's not sure he likes that. And, the M's need bullpen help, but no one seems to agree. Also, the crew from the Marine Layer podcast stops by to talk about their experience at the All-Star Game. CLICK HERE:
PRIORITIES STRAIGHT: As the trade deadline nears, the Mariners are reportedly zeroing in on a specific target. CLICK HERE:
LEGENDS UNITE: The Mariners will have a full contingent at the Baseball Hall of Fame next weekend, as Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez will be in attendance for Ichiro's Hall of Fame induction. CLICK HERE:
Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @RefuseToLosePod. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
