Mariners announce both Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor underwent surgery following disappointing 2026 season

The Seattle Mariners were among the biggest disappointments of the 2026 MLB season. After winning the American League West in 2025, the Mariners crashed and burned this year, finishing 10 games under .500.

Turns out, there were a few reasons for the team’s struggles. Both Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor were playing through injuries during the season, ones that required offseason surgeries, the team announced Monday.

Raleigh underwent a procedure on his left shoulder. Naylor had surgery on his right wrist. Both players are expected to be fully healthy by spring training.

Seattle Mariners announce that two of their biggest stars, who struggled this season, underwent recent surgeries.
Catcher Cal Raleigh underwent a left shoulder acromioclavicular (AC) debridement procedure.
1B Josh Naylor underwent triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) repair…

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— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 5, 2026

The injuries had a clear impact on both players in 2026. A year after nearly winning the American League MVP award, Raleigh took a massive step backward, hitting an abysmal .182. After leading baseball with 60 home runs in 2025, Raleigh dropped all the way back to 23 home runs, 14 of which came in the second half. While it’s unclear when Raleigh sustained the injury, the catcher also missed time early in the year with an oblique issue.

It’s similarly unclear when Naylor started battling his wrist injury. But the first baseman clearly suffered at the plate because of it. After slugging over .450 in each of the previous four seasons, Naylor slugged just .350 in 2026. That figure was tied for the eighth-worst among MLB regulars. Players like Caleb Durbin, Jose Altuve and Jung Hoo Lee hit for more power than Naylor throughout the year.

Both Naylor and Raleigh played a significant role in the team underachieving, though were far from the only problem on the Mariners. The team’s bullpen collapsed after emerging as one of the team’s strengths in 2025. Julio Rodriguez put up his worst slash line since coming to the majors and few other players on the team’s offense rose to the occasion when the star players were struggling.

If there’s a silver lining, the team’s starting pitching was still strong in 2026 and remains under contract in 2027. If Naylor and Raleigh can bounce back after offseason surgeries — and Rodriguez can find his stroke — there’s potential for the Mariners to become contenders again next season.

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p style=”text-align:left”>Shoring up the bullpen should be a priority, but the offense should — presumably — be much better next season, especially if Naylor and Raleigh can live up to their usual standards again.