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Seattle Mariners

Mariners’ Cal Raleigh takes first swings since going on IL

The next step in the slow progression for Cal Raleigh to return from his oblique injury has started. (Getty Images)
Tim Booth Seattle Times

SEATTLE – The next step in the slow progression for Cal Raleigh to return from his oblique injury has started.

The Mariners catcher took 30 swings at moderate intensity off the batting tee in the cages at the Mariners complex in Arizona on Friday, the first time he’s done any significant hitting since suffering the right oblique injury just over two weeks ago.

M’s general manager Justin Hollander said Raleigh is expected to hit again on Saturday in Arizona and then fly up to Seattle for a check-in with the major league club.

“I think he misses us, or probably the other guys, not necessarily me,” Hollander joked. “But he will come for a check-in over the next couple days.”

Raleigh landed on the injured list for the first time in his career on May 14. He started light baseball activity earlier this week, but starting to take swings was always going to be the last step in his progression.

Hollander said Raleigh is doing some catching and has been throwing out to 130 feet.

“We just want to build responsibly and make sure that when he cuts it loose 100% that he feels 100%,” Hollander said. “I don’t have any more of a timeline than that. I’ll probably know more than that a week from now, in terms of how he’s doing and where we’re at in terms of return to play date. But I think the swings today were a good sign and he felt good after doing it.”

While Raleigh is progressing in his baseball activity, Brendan Donovan is still slowly building toward the start of an on-field running program. So far, all of Donovan’s running has been done using a weightless treadmill. Hollander said the hope is that Donovan will graduate into a baseball running progression — beginning with straight-ahead running — at some point in the next several days.

Donovan landed on the IL for the second time this season on May 17 due to complication from offseason surgery for a sports hernia and prompted the promotion of Colt Emerson to the majors.

Like for Raleigh, there is no timeline as of yet for Donovan on a possible return. But Hollander said both will need rehab outings in the minors before rejoining the major league club.