The Seattle Mariners are still attempting to figure out the exact situation with second and third base entering this season and the depth behind those positions.

The Mariners have been unable to get a look at several of the potential lineup combinations that could realistically happen due to the amount of players the team has competing in the World Baseball Classic.

One of those WBC competitors will be returning early to Seattle's major league camp but it isn't under positive circumstances.

According to USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale, utility player/infielder Miles Mastrobuoni will be returning to the Mariners after injuring his calf in Team Italy's upset win against Team USA on Tuesday.

Mastrobuoni was originally acquired by the Mariners in an under-the-radar trade with the Chicago Cubs on Jan. 14, 2025, in return for cash.

The 30-year-old utility player spent spurts of the year with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers but emerged as the season progressed as the M's do-it-all utility player.

Mastrobuoni slashed .250/.324/.296 with a .620 OPS in a single-season career-high 76 games. He hit four doubles and a home run with 12 RBIs (another career-high).

The former Cub entered this spring as the team's presumed front-runner as the Swiss army knife player off the bench. The addition of 2025 All-Star Brendan Donovan has reduced the need for a player of that nature, but Mastrobuoni's contract situation puts Seattle in a difficult situation.

Mastrobuoni has no minor league options left on his contract, which would mean the Mariners would have to designated him for assignment and re-sign him to a minor league contract if he cleared waivers, assuming the team doesn't intend to have him begin the year in the major leagues.

There's a glass-half-full aspect to Mastrobuoni's injury. If the injury is something that requires him to be on the injured list, Mastrobuoni can earn some breathing room to both get healthy and possibly be activated onto the major league roster depending on where the team is at.

If the injury is a minor one, then Mastrobuoni can find a way to contribute in Cactus League games before the season begins and make a final case to be on the 26-man roster.

The Mariners have placed a lot of value on versatility over the last several seasons. That value could lead to a role on the roster at some point for Mastrobuoni, regardless of how he begins the season.

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