Mariners add IF option to taxi squad with Colt Emerson out again

The Seattle Mariners are again without their top two shortstop options on Tuesday, with rookie Colt Emerson remaining on the bench a day after he was scratched from the starting lineup in Baltimore due to back tightness.

Mariners’ Cal Raleigh slugs two HRs in rehab game with Tacoma

News of Emerson’s injury Monday came just hours after the Mariners had placed starting shortstop J.P. Crawford on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Saturday) with a right hand contusion he suffered Friday when he was hit by a 96 mph pitch in Detroit.

With Emerson still out of action, Seattle took a precautionary measure and added veteran utilityman Miles Mastrobuoni to its taxi squad, Mariners insider Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports reported Tuesday afternoon. With the M’s set to be on the road through Sunday, having Mastrobuoni on the taxi squad allows them the ability to have him activated and available to play immediately should they need to put Emerson (or any other player, for that matter) on the injured list.

Cole Young, Seattle’s usual starting second baseman, is again playing shortstop with Emerson out Tuesday. Ryan Bliss, who was called up from Triple-A Monday, is again at second while Patrick Wisdom is playing third base. Emerson has generally played third this season with the M’s but was playing shortstop in Crawford’s absence.

The squad for Game 2️⃣ in Baltimore pic.twitter.com/2noFY8kCaY

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) June 9, 2026

Mastrobuoni, 30, began the season on the injured list with a calf strain he suffered playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic in March. He has been on a minor league rehab assignment for the past month. In 14 games with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers this season, the left-handed swinger has gone 8 for 43 (.186) with a home run, two doubles and a triple.

Mastrobuoni slashed .250/.324/.296 for a .620 OPS with one home run and four doubles in 76 games for the Mariners in 2025. He played first base, second base, third base and the corner outfield spots for Seattle last year, as well as pitched an inning. He also has played 14 games at shortstop in the big leagues.

The 20-year-old Emerson is hitting .242 with four home runs, five doubles, a triple, nine runs scored and 10 RBIs in 19 games since being promoted from Triple-A last month. The No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Emerson has been considered one of the top prospects in baseball for the past three years.

First pitch of Tuesday’s Mariners-Orioles game is set for 3:35 p.m., with Mariners Radio Network coverage carried on Seattle Sports 710 AM, the Seattle Sports app and streaming at SeattleSports.com.

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