Seattle Mariners All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh will not start the series opener against the New York Yankees on Monday night, manager Dan Wilson announced. The reigning AL MVP runner-up, who hit a record 60 home runs last season, has struggled in 2026, going just 2-for-15 with 10 strikeouts in the team's opening series against Cleveland.

Wilson said the decision gives Raleigh, who played in three World Baseball Classic games for Team USA, a chance to rest after a shortened spring training. Veteran Mitch Garver will start behind the plate and bat sixth against the Yankees. Last season, Raleigh appeared in a career-high 159 games and racked up 705 plate appearances, but Wilson is taking a more proactive approach this year.

Raleigh's absence comes as Yankees slugger Aaron Judge prepares to face the Mariners. Judge, who praised Raleigh's work ethic from their WBC days together, is in the No. 2 spot for New York. Despite Raleigh's slow start, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt believes expectations should be tempered after last year's historic season, noting that another 60-homer campaign would be unrealistic.