Raleigh keeping the faith despite Mariners' slow start

SEATTLE -- The Mariners had their first off-day in two weeks on Thursday, and despite some sky-is-falling-moments, they actually came out of this stretch 7-6 and 3-3 on their recent homestand.

Some topics worth monitoring heading into the weekend:

Cal candid about 'it's early' commentary
Ah, everyone’s favorite catchphrase for this time of year.

The one that strikes the balance between struggling teams in April preaching patience, and fan angst over the perception that saying it dismisses these games as less important.

It’s one of the great tugs-of-war at this time of year, but especially in Seattle -- where, let’s be real, fans have gone through some maddening hindsight come September.

Cal Raleigh understands the mounting frustration, and shares a lot of it. More than most.

“It's a fine balance, right?” Raleigh said. “We all know that we want to be doing better than we are, but at the same time, it's not going to help anybody in this room by trying to press and go out there and do more or try to be the guy.

“But you know, it's happened before. It's happened to good clubs. And there's going to be a 25-game stretch in the regular season when things are going better and we're swinging well and we're confident like that. But I just think, it's more under a microscope because it's the beginning of the season.”

All fair points through both lenses.

This nearly 10-minute interview took place after Tuesday’s loss, and what stood out most was his genuine belief. That hasn’t always been the case through the years. Then, he scored the game-winning run in a walk-off the very next day.

“I have faith in this group,” Raleigh said. “And like I said, it's a fine line of assessing, and then going from there. But I think we'll make that adjustment.”

Countdown to Emerson
Word is that even if Colt Emerson hadn’t suffered a minor wrist injury, he still wouldn’t have been considered for Brendan Donovan’s roster spot when Donovan went on the IL.

Put simply, the Mariners simply don’t think that MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 overall prospect is quite ready.

Emerson is off to a decent start at Triple-A Tacoma, but a few under-the-hood numbers tie into what the club wants him to harness.

His average exit velocity is down to 87.6 mph (from 93.6 mph in a brief stint at Tacoma to end the 2025 season), and his hard-hit rate has dropped to 45% (from 64.7%). To be fair, last year’s numbers are a small sample, as public data isn’t available at Double-A Arkansas. But the more telling metric is his 26.8% strikeout rate (way up from his career 17.4%).

These numbers could reflect what became evident at Spring Training, where Emerson was regularly selling out for power. It’s in there, absolutely, and who doesn’t love the long ball? But his entire identity is rooted in a blend of elite bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline.

The Mariners aren’t setting statistical benchmarks for Emerson to determine he’s ready. That’s not how player development works. But it’s also clear that they want to see his advanced approach flash more consistently.

The wrist issue kept Emerson out of Tacoma’s lineup for the third straight game Wednesday. Until that heals, which the club anticipates will be as soon as this weekend, the wait for the $95 million man continues. And probably for a few more weeks.

Donovan's frustrating reality
Speaking of Donovan, his immediate frustration about the left groin muscle strain is that he’s not out there with his guys.

“I hate being unavailable,” he said in passing this week.

It also appears there will be some legitimate long-term monitoring of this issue.

Donovan again cited the sports hernia surgery that he underwent last October as the likeliest cause for what’s going on, and added that this new snag was independent of the discomfort he experienced on the other groin in Anaheim three weekends ago.

And therein lies a bigger-picture scope, as Donovan -- who only played 130-plus games once in his four years in St. Louis -- suggested that treatment could last throughout the season. He isn’t expected to be activated on the Mariners’ upcoming road trip, as he’ll remain in Seattle to rehab.

Donovan said he’s spoken to many others who have undergone a similar procedure, including Mike Cameron, who tried to play through it in 2010 before shutting it down and undergoing surgery that August. Cameron’s situation was different, though, because he was on the front end of surgery.

Via text message to MLB.com, Cameron said that he’s reached out to Donovan and the Mariners’ athletic training staff to suggest that everything he’s going through is normal, albeit frustrating.