The Seattle Mariners finally placed catcher Cal Raleigh on the injured list this week—and honestly, it's a move that should have happened weeks ago.

At 21-23, the Mariners are sitting just two games back of the Athletics in the AL West, so they're far from out of contention. But they'll now have to navigate the division race without their 60-homer slugger from last season, and that's a tough pill to swallow.

According to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, Raleigh is headed to the IL for the first time in his career with a right oblique strain. The news didn't come as a shock—Raleigh has been visibly laboring through pain at the plate for weeks.

Here's the thing: this roster move is unfortunate, but it's also one the Mariners should have made much earlier. Raleigh's struggles this season have been impossible to ignore. His .161 batting average is well below league average, and while his seven home runs aren't terrible, his .560 OPS tells the real story of a player who's been a major disappointment offensively.

The biggest red flag? A mind-boggling 0-for-38 hitless streak that stretched across multiple weeks. He finally snapped it with two hits on Tuesday night, but by then, the damage was done. That prolonged slump was the clearest sign that something was physically wrong.

Raleigh was clearly playing below 100% during that stretch, and an earlier IL stint could have given him the time he needed to heal properly. Instead, the Mariners watched their star catcher struggle night after night, likely aggravating an injury that could have been managed with more proactive care.

This isn't the first time Raleigh has dealt with a right-side issue this season. He missed time earlier due to a similar problem, and in hindsight, the Mariners should have placed him on the IL then. Turning to backup options like Mitch Garver might have been a short-term hit, but it would have saved Raleigh from this extended slump—and the team from weeks of offensive black hole in the lineup.

Now, the Mariners will have to move forward without their biggest power bat. It's a tough break, but one that could have been avoided with better timing.