The discomfort in Luke Raley’s left forearm simply became too painful to try to play through. And his production simply wasn’t enough to try to keep putting him in the lineup on a semi-regular basis.
Prior to Saturday’s game, the Mariners placed Raley on the 10-day injured list with a strained left forearm. The team selected the minor-league contract of veteran outfielder Stuart Fairchild and added him to the active roster.
“It’s obviously a tough break to lose (Raley’s) bat and his defense, but that’s why Fairchild is here,” manager Dan Wilson said pregame.
Raley has been dealing with off-and-on discomfort in the flexor-tendon area of his forearm for multiple seasons. But in Miami on July 9, Raley tweaked the forearm on a swing. He began wearing a compression sleeve that was supposed to provide some relief and protection. But swings on certain pitches resulted in discomfort. With the Mariners struggling, he tried to play through the issue.
“You can’t say enough about the type of player that Luke is,” Wilson said. “From a coachability standpoint, Luke is about the Mariners. That’s what it boils down to. He was really trying to grit it out as much as he could, but it gets to a point where it’s too difficult and painful. He felt like he wasn’t helping the team at that point. Tough decisions all around. He’s going to take a break here and hopefully get it resolved.”
Wilson wasn’t sure how long Raley would be out.
“It’s certainly going to take a little bit of time for sure, but we’ll kind of know more here in the coming days,” he said. “Obviously it’s a tough break to lose a guy like Rales, to lose someone who plays hard like that and sets a tone and is just a team player all-around.”
This is Fairchild’s second MLB stint with the Mariners. The former Seattle Prep standout appeared in three games for the Mariners in 2022.
Fairchild signed as a minor-league free agent after being designated for assignment by the Guardians on June 26.
He appeared in 12 games for Triple-A Tacoma, posting a .262/.414/.643 slash line with three doubles, two triples, three homers, six RBI and two stolen bases.
Why bring up Fairchild and not prospect Michael Arroyo? Well, Fairchild is capable of playing all three outfield spots while Arroyo isn’t; he is considered from below average to a liability at second base and left field.
Also as a minor-league free-agent signing, Fairchild is largely expendable. With the trade deadline looming on Monday and roster moves expected, including the return of Brendan Donovan on Tuesday, the Mariners could designate Fairchild for assignment to clear room on their roster.
The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.