The Seattle Mariners are now five games back of the AL West Division after leading for the majority of the season. They need to get back on track fast. The Houston Astros have surged ahead of them, and now the Mariners are just 1.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels.

On Friday, one day after a much-needed day off, Seattle starts a series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.  The contest starts at 2:20 ET, so it will begin here shortly. Ahead of the series, the team made a roster move that is a bit surprising. They designated first baseman and designated hitter Rowdy Tellez for assignment and reinstated utility man Luke Raley from the 10-day IL.

Tellez is having a rough season compared to some good years in the past. His home run numbers are actually on pace to be better than a majority of his career years; however, he can't get on base at a consistent rate. His average is at just .208, and his OBP is .249. His 11 homers are second on the team behind the home run leader, Cal Raleigh, who has 27. The Mariners don't have a lot of pop outside of Raleigh, so potentially losing Tellez will see some decreases in homers.

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Luke Raley is valuable because he plays the outfield as well as first base. His numbers aren't much better in very few ABs this season, but the team is giving him a chance due to past success. He hit 22 home runs last season and 19 the year before that for the Mariners. He had an .824 OPS in 2023. Seattle is hoping Raley can return to that form, which would provide a valuable left-handed bat in the middle of the lineup.

If the Mariners want to get back on track quickly, they will need their left-handed bats to step up this weekend against the Cubs, with two right-handed pitchers on the mound Saturday and Sunday.