Mariners utility player to leave Team Italy after stunning WBC upset

Team Italy’s hopes of advancing out of Pool B at the World Baseball Classic are still alive.

For utility player Miles Mastrobuoni, he’ll have to root for Italy from afar.

MORE: Red Sox catcher suddenly joins Team Italy in WBC after Kyle Teel injury

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today , Mastrobuoni will leave Team Italy on March 11 after it was reported he suffered a calf injury in Italy’s stunning 8-6 upset of Team USA on March 10. He’ll head back to the Seattle Mariners’ spring training camp after Italy plays Mexico in their final pool play game.

Mastrobuoni, 30, is competing in his second WBC for Team Italy. He’s 2 for 3 with an RBI through his first four plate appearances of the tournament.

A native of Northern California, Mastrobuoni did not play in Italy’s historic win. They had never beaten the U.S. in the 20-year history of the WBC before March 10.

Team Italy can advance to the quarterfinals of the WBC for the first time by beating Mexico. The WBC tiebreaker format also allows Italy to advance if it loses to Mexico but allows no more than four runs.

They will have to do so without Mastrobuoni or catcher Kyle Teel, who returned to the Chicago White Sox camp after injuring his hamstring in the victory over the United States.

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