Mariners' Miles Mastrobuoni: Moves back to bench role
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Mastrobuoni is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics.
Mastrobuoni had started in the corner outfield in each of the last three games, but his opportunities to play in left or right field will likely become scarcer moving forward with Randy Arozarena moving past a hamstring injury and with the Mariners claiming Leody Taveras off waivers. The versatile Mastrobuoni could still fill in occasionally at second or third base, though Dylan Moore and Ben Williamson seem to be ahead of him in the pecking order for playing time at either of those spots.
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Mariners' Miles Mastrobuoni: On bench against southpaw
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Mastrobuoni is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Angels.
With southpaw Tyler Anderson taking the hill for the Angels, the left-handed-hitting Mastrobuoni will take a seat after he started at four different positions (second base, third base, left field and right field) in Seattle's previous four games. Though he doesn't have a regular home in the infield or outfield, Mastrobuoni could continue to see fairly steady playing time against right-handed pitching while Dylan Moore (hip) and Luke Raley (oblique) are on the injured list and while Jorge Polanco (side) is limited to the designated-hitter role.
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Mariners' Miles Mastrobuoni: Not starting against lefty
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Mastrobuoni is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox.
Mastrobuoni had started in each of the Mariners' last four matchups versus right-handed pitching, but he'll hit the bench Wednesday while the Red Sox send southpaw Sean Newcomb to the bump. The Mariners will likely continue to deploy Mastrobuoni in a timeshare at third base with Ben Williamson until Jorge Polanco is cleared to play the field again while he manages a side injury.
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Mariners' Miles Mastrobuoni: Getting third straight start
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Mastrobuoni will start at third base and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the Rangers.
Mastrobuoni will stick in the lineup for a fourth straight game and will make his third consecutive start at the hot corner while Jorge Polanco (side) is limited to DH duties. Polanco is believed to be at least one or two weeks away from being ready to play the field, so Mastrobuoni could continue to benefit from extra opportunities. The 29-year-old is hitting .316 through his first 10 games with the Mariners, but he hasn't provided much help in the counting categories (zero home runs, one stolen base, three runs and zero RBI).
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Mariners' Miles Mastrobuoni: Drawing second start of season
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Mastrobuoni will start at second base and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the Astros.
Mastrobuoni will pick up his second start of the season, filling in at the keystone after the Mariners placed everyday second baseman Ryan Bliss (bicep) on the 10-day injured list. Though Bliss appears headed for an extended absence, Mastrobuoni won't necessarily be the Mariners' top choice to replace him. Dylan Moore will start at third base Wednesday, but he could shift over to second base and serve as the primary option at that position once Jorge Polanco (side) -- who is serving as a designated hitter against the Astros -- is cleared to return to the infield.
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Mariners' Miles Mastrobuoni: Dealt to Seattle
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The Mariners acquired Mastrobuoni from the Cubs on Tuesday in exchange for cash considerations, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Mastrobuoni had been designated for assignment but will now get to join a new 40-man roster. A .219/.279/.263 hitter across 272 career plate appearances in the majors, the utility player will compete for a reserve role this spring but does have minor-league options remaining.
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Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Loses 40-man spot
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The Cubs designated Mastrobuoni for assignment Thursday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
The 29-year-old will end up as the Cubs' roster casualty following the acquisition of Matt Festa from Texas on Thursday. Mastrobuoni has slashed just .219/.279/.263 across 272 career plate appearances in the majors, and his .634 OPS at Triple-A Iowa last season could cause him to pass through waivers unclaimed.
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Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Optioned to Iowa
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The Cubs optioned Mastrobuoni to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
With Isaac Paredes now active and set to take over as Chicago's primary third baseman, Mastrobuoni no longer has a place in the Cubs' infield unit and will now head back to Triple-A. The 28-year-old slashed .260/.283/.300 in 53 plate appearances after being recalled in mid-June.
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Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Losing playing time
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Mastrobuoni is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Mastrobuoni started at third base in each of the Cubs' final five games before the All-Star break as well as Friday's 5-2 loss to Arizona, but he'll hit the bench for the second day in a row to close out the series with the Diamondbacks. The 28-year-old no longer looks slated to get regular playing time moving forward after the Cubs brought Mike Tauchman back from the injured list Friday.
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Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Getting fifth straight start
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Mastrobuoni will start at third base and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
Since heading to the bench for Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Orioles, the lefty-hitting Mastrobuoni has re-emerged as a regular part of the Cubs' lineup against right-handed pitching. Mastrobuoni will close the first half of the season with his fifth consecutive start, with his uptick in playing time coinciding with Cody Bellinger's (finger) placement on the injured list Thursday. Mastrobuoni has gone 4-for-13 with an RBI and two runs over his prior four starts.
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Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Drawing start at third base
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Mastrobuoni will start at third base and bat eighth in Friday's game against the Angels.
Christopher Morel is getting a second straight day in the designated hitter spot, so Mastrobuoni will be tasked with handling the hot corner. It's his first start since he was recalled from Triple-A Iowa back on June 18.
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Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Back in big leagues
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Mastrobuoni was called up from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday.
Mastrobuoni will return to the major-league roster after being sent down May 20, replacing Mike Tauchman (groin) with the Cubs after Tauchman was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday. Mastrobuoni produced a .264 average with three home runs, 14 RBI, 16 runs scored and four stolen bases over 87 at-bats in 22 games with Iowa since his demotion.
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Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Tallies first three hits Saturday
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Mastrobuoni went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 10-9 loss to the Pirates.
Mastrobuoni was productive from the No. 8 spot in the lineup and he recorded his first three hits of the season, as he came into the contest 0-for-14 across 10 games. The 28-year-old has bounced between Triple-A and the majors and serves in a utility role when he's with the Cubs, so he doesn't see a ton of regular playing time, which makes Saturday's performance an outlier.
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Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Called up from Triple-A
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The Cubs recalled Mastrobuoni from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday.
Mastrobuoni made the Cubs' Opening Day roster and was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on April 18 after Patrick Wisdom returned from a stint on the 10-day injured list due to a back injury. Mastrobuoni has appeared in 10 games for Iowa, slashing .231/.318/.436 with 10 runs, five doubles, one home run and four RBI over 44 plate appearances. Matt Mervis was sent down to Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move.
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Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Optioned to Iowa
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The Cubs optioned Mastrobuoni to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
He was able to crack the Opening Day roster with Patrick Wisdom on the injured list before the season began. Mastrobuoni appeared in just eight games and only reached base once on a walk across 13 plate appearances. In a corresponding move, Wisdom was activated from the 10-day injured list.
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Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Vying for final bench role
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Mastrobuoni seems likely to secure a utility role with the Cubs out of spring training, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
The Cubs have a few options for bench spots, but Mastrobuoni likely has an inside track due to his left-handed bat and his defensive versatility. The 28-year-old had some nice moments toward the end of last year, though he finished with just a .609 OPS across 61 games and doesn't profile as a great fantasy asset in 2024.
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Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Recalled from Iowa
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The Cubs recalled Mastrobuoni from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Despite his lackluster MLB stats this season, Mastrobuoni appears to have rediscovered his swing over the last several weeks. He appeared in 13 games during his last major-league stint in July and slashed .324/.375/.432 with three RBI and 10 runs scored. Once he was optioned to Triple-A, his hot hitting continued with a .959 OPS since Aug. 1. Mastrobuoni will likely serve in a bench role with the Cubs, but the team could look for ways to get his hot bat in the game. Tucker Barnhart was DFA'd in a corresponding move.
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Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Sent to Triple-A
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Mastrobuoni was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Nick Madrigal was activated from the 10-day injured list, so Mastrobuoni's playing time was about to evaporate anyway. He hit .300 with one home run and five steals over his last 40 at-bats.
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Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Settling in at third base
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Mastrobuoni will start at third base and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the White Sox.
Mastrobuoni looked at risk of losing out on playing time when Dansby Swanson returned from the 10-day injured list Saturday, but it's instead been Trey Mancini who has moved into a bench role. With Christopher Morel making his last three starts as the Cubs' designated hitter, Mastrobuoni has been able to settle as the team's primary third baseman. He should continue to make regular starts against right-handed pitching, though Mastrobuoni could give way to Morel or Patrick Wisdom at third base when the Cubs oppose southpaws.
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Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Nabs steal
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Mastrobuoni went 0-for-2 with two walks, a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 11-5 loss to the Red Sox.
Mastrobuoni has been in the lineup in two of three games since the All-Star break, but he's gone hitless over six at-bats. He's faced right-handed pitchers both times, suggesting he could be carving out a platoon role at third base that could eat into Patrick Wisdom's playing time. Mastrobuoni will need to do a bit more with the bat to maintain his newfound role -- he's slashing just .155/.268/.197 with seven steals, one RBI, seven runs scored and three doubles over 84 plate appearances this season.
