Seattle Mariners: Recently DFA’d utility man clears waivers, sent to AAA

The Seattle Mariners have once again successfully dodged the waiver wire to retain veteran utility player Miles Mastrobuoni.

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Mastrobuoni cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers, the M’s announced Tuesday. The news came just days after the team designated Mastrobuoni for assignment to make room on the active roster for the return of star center fielder Julio Rodríguez from the seven-day concussion injured list on Saturday.

This is the second time this season that the Mariners have DFA’d the lefty-hitting Mastrobuoni and cleared him through waivers, allowing them to retain his contract and send him to the minor leagues. Because Mastrobuoni is out of minor league options, he must first clear waivers – which makes him available to all the other MLB teams – before he can be sent down from an MLB roster to a minor league one.

The 30-year-old Mastrobuoni is in his second season with the Mariners, but he’s struggled to find a regular spot on Seattle’s roster that is currently heavy on left-handed hitters. Seattle has recently added two utility men who hit from the right side: Weston Wilson and Buddy Kennedy.

Mastrobuoni has appeared in 13 games over two stints with Seattle in 2026, hitting 5 for 30 (.192) with two walks, three runs and one RBI. He has made four appearances each at third base and right field, two each at first base and left field, and one at second base.

In 208 career MLB games over the past five seasons, Mastrobuoni has played every position except for catcher and center field.

In 2025, Mastrobuoni slashed .250/.324/.296 for a .620 OPS with one home run, four doubles, six stolen bases and 0.2 bWAR in 76 games for the Mariners. Prior to coming to Seattle, Mastrobuoni played for the Tampa Bay Rays (2022) and Chicago Cubs (2023-24). Tampa Bay selected Mastrobuoni in the 14th round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of the University of Nevada.

Mastrobuoni began this season on the injured list with a calf strain that he suffered while playing for Italy in the World Baseball Classic. He went 2 for 3 with a double, an RBI and a walk in the WBC, which was his second tournament with the Italian team.

In 19 games this year in Triple-A, Mastrobuoni is hitting .172 (10 for 58) with a homer, a triple, two doubles, five stolen bases and 12 walks to 15 strikeouts.

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