Luke Raley is giving the Mariners no choice but to feature him in stretch run

It’s one thing to talk about the impending logjam in the Seattle Mariners’ outfield. It’s another when it actually shows up at your doorstep, loud, unavoidable, and demanding answers. You can dress it up as a “good problem to have” all you want, but at some point, it becomes exactly that: a problem. The kind of problem that can make or break a playoff push.

Let’s start with Luke Raley, who’s been practically positionless this season. Is he a right fielder? A first baseman? For most of the year, he’s been stuck on the short side of a platoon, constantly shifting roles depending on who’s hot or who’s healthy.

Mariners’ outfield battle intensifies with Luke Raley’s return

It began with Rowdy Tellez getting the large share of reps at first base, which pushed Raley into scraps of playing time in right field. Then Victor Robles went down with an injury, briefly opening the door for Raley in right. But before he could settle in, Raley got hurt himself, eventually clearing the way for a scorching-hot Dominic Canzone to take over the position.

When Raley finally returned, the Mariners had just acquired left-handed slugger Josh Naylor to be the everyday first baseman, blocking him there again. And just as he was trying to find his footing — Raley got hurt again. At this point, you can’t help but wonder: What exactly are the Mariners supposed to do with Luke Raley?

If you’d asked that question two weeks ago, the easy answer would have been: “Stick with Canzone.” He’s swinging a hot bat and making it hard to justify taking him out of the lineup. But baseball has a funny way of flipping the script.

In just three rehab games, Raley’s made himself impossible to ignore, blasting a grand slam on August 11 and a game-tying two-run homer the very next night. Suddenly, the “Don’t mess with Canzone!” crowd has started to sound a lot more like, “Move over, Canzone.”

But wait, because this gets even more complicated. In that same August 12 game, Robles officially began his own rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma, and promptly ripped a gapper in his first at-bat.

That means the Mariners are about to have not one, but two outfielders returning. The old cliché says this is a good problem to have. But the truth? This is a tricky balancing act. Players need rhythm to perform at their peak, and while veterans can survive in reduced roles, younger, streakier bats like Canzone tend to wither without consistent at-bats. That’s why you keep a Donovan Solano or a Mitch Garver on your bench, not a 28-year-old still finding his MLB footing.

So, what’s the move? Naylor is locked in at first. Jorge Polanco has been warm at DH for over a month, and with Cole Young also hot at second base, there’s no reason to bump Polanco there. That leaves right field as Raley’s only path to everyday at-bats.

On paper, Canzone still has the edge with a 126 OPS+ for the season, but the reality is less shiny, he’s posted just a .607 OPS since July 13. Add in the fact that he has two minor league options left, and the Mariners have a decision looming. Roll with Canzone and hope he gets hot again, or give Raley the job to work as the fourth outfielder and see if his rehab fireworks carry over to the big stage.

The stretch run is coming fast, and one way or another, the Mariners can’t keep everyone happy. But if Raley keeps swinging like this, the decision might just make itself.