Seattle Mariners star Cal Raleigh might be the hottest hitter in baseball. Seattle's catcher has broken records throughout the first half of the season. He is the leader of Dan Wilson's offense as the Mariners try to track down the Houston Astros. After Thursday's gamer against the Minnesota Twins, he will have more responsibility. He will start at catcher with Mitch Garver out.

The 34-year-old started against the Twins, but was hit in the mouth by a foul tip in the fifth inning. He left the game and did not return. Wilson and the Mariners do not know how severe the injury is. For the time being, Garver is considered day-to-day on Seattle's injury report.

According to The Seattle Times Mariners reporter Adam Jude, Raleigh will move from designated hitter to catcher. The eventual American League All-Star catcher will go back to his primary position while Jorge Polanco takes his spot at DH.

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Raleigh finished the game behind the plate, but was not able to spark a comeback. The Mariners lost to the Twins 10-1, their fifth loss in their last ten games. Seattle is now more than five games behind the Astros in their division and cling to the last wild card spot in the American League.

Raleigh is in the middle of a below average season in the field. However, his excellence at the plate has more than made up for it. Wilson's catcher is on pace to break Barry Bonds' home run record and leads the league in power. With players like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge in Major League Baseball, Raleigh's efforts are even more impressive.

Raleigh remains one of the best players in the league this season. With Garver out, he has a chance to plug holes both in the order and in the field. Wilson hopes that he can give his team enough to help them find their way back into the top of the playoff picture.