Luke Raley has wasted no time reminding Mariners of his value after injury return

In late April, Luke Raley was placed on the 10-day injured list with an oblique strain. It was an injury that was suffered during batting practice and it didn't happen long after Ryan Bliss and Victor Robles were both shelved, further decimating the Seattle Mariners' lineup.

However, Raley has been on an absolute tear since returning on June 20th.

Raley's rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma should have been a sign of what was to come. He posted a .979 OPS over his 20 plate appearances with a homer and a double with the Rainiers. His recent big league sample is even smaller at just 15 at-bats across five games, but his .333/.444/.600 slash line over that stretch isn't too shabby at all.

In fact, his OPS of 1.044 over the past week is the third-highest of any Mariner with at least 15 at-bats behind just Donovan Solano (1.471) and Cal Raleigh (1.523).

Luke Raley is back in the Mariners lineup, and already doing damage

Raley's return comes at a critical time in the season as the Mariners are fighting to retain their current wild card spot. Not only is his bat a valuable addition to the daily lineup, his ability to be a corner outfielder and first baseman helps fill two key holes on the roster.

To their credit, both Solano and Dominic Canzone have stepped up in their own right, but the added flexibility of having a fully healthy Raley is undoubtedly a major contributor to the team's recent offensive success.

More long term, how he performs for the next month could tip the scales in terms of what the front office decides to pursue at the July 31 trade deadline. Raley's presence could decrease the need for help at the designated hitter role, but with Jorge Polanco still getting the lion's share of starts at the position, the front office could want to pursue a more full-time replacement.

What will likely happen instead is that he'll continue to split time between first base and right field. Given Solano's .475 OPS against left-handed pitching this year, even the left-handed-hitting Raley could be prefered for starts at first base against southpaws. Canzone has been on a tear this year, posting a .910 OPS over his 44 at-bats, but if he begins to regress to his career norms, expect to see him cede playing time to Raley in the outfield.

For what seems like the first time this season, Seattle's lineup has more of an excess of talent than a deficit. Injuries have made it tough, but with many of the bigger names like Logan Gilbert and Luke Raley returning to the active roster, the trials and tribulations may be behind them. However, with a widening gap between the Mariners and the division-leading Houston Astros, Seattle isn't out of the rain quite yet.