Muñoz and his celebrity cat return from Classic to Mariners camp

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The cat content was in peak form at the World Baseball Classic.

Andrés Muñoz regularly shared updates of his 15-year-old Persian feline, Matilda, from his hotel room in Houston while competing for Team Mexico -- headlined by the furry friend donning a mini sombrero in support.

Muñoz and Matilda are now back in Arizona, where the two-time All-Star believes he’ll be able to quickly transition to in-season form.

“When I was in the bullpen over there, I felt like the season had already started,” Muñoz said. “That was a good thing, I think, because it was more preparation, and just to get the feeling again of being in a big stadium and just going out there to compete. I feel like that helped a lot.”

Muñoz pitched in two of Team Mexico’s four games in Pool Play, on March 6 and 11, before the club was eliminated. The outings were, in part, spaced out in a by-design effort to monitor his workload -- because for as special as it was to finally take part in the premier international event, the 2026 season is the priority.

Muñoz couldn’t take part in the 2023 Classic due to the foot/heel surgery he underwent the previous offseason. That, and he was also much greener, coming off his age-23 season and a career-high innings total (65).

“It was really special,” Muñoz said. “I am just really thankful I was able to do it this time. I was really disappointed when I wasn’t able to go to the last WBC. Just the opportunity to represent my country was a really good experience for me, something I was dreaming about.”

Muñoz quickly regained his footing in Cactus League play on Sunday, striking out three and working around a double and a walk in the sixth inning of Seattle's 6-3 win over the Reds at Peoria Stadium.

He’s coming off another huge season, with career-bests in ERA (1.73) and saves (38).

Mastro nursing calf injury from WBC
Infielder Miles Mastrobuoni also returned from the Classic on Saturday, but well before his club was eliminated, as Team Italy advanced to the semifinals and will face Team Venezuela on Monday.

His premature departure was due to a calf injury suffered during Pool Play, which led Mastrobuoni back to Arizona for more extended treatment from Seattle’s athletic training staff.

“I'm feeling better, for sure,” Mastrobuoni said. “These last two or three days have been big steps for me in the sense of just kind of getting back on it and seeing where I'm at.”

Mastrobuoni felt the calf tighten up when running to his position during last Sunday’s game vs. Great Britain. At first, he thought the area was cramping, but it kept lingering.

“I’ve just got to be smart with it.” Mastrobuoni said. “I came back today and responded well, so that’s definitely a good sign and a good step for me, just for me and my mental state and everything. So I’ll keep trying to just stack days and not rush it. Of course, the competitor in me is trying to get out there as soon as I can.”

Mastrobuoni was already on the outside looking in to the Mariners’ Opening Day roster, given that there just aren’t enough spots to go around. And complicating his status within the organization is that he’s out of Minor League options, meaning that he’d have to be exposed to waivers -- and the risk of being claimed by another club -- to be sent to Triple-A Tacoma.

It’s conceivable that now, however, the Mariners could place him on the 10-day injured list to begin the regular season to ensure he remains in the organization, at least until his calf heals. Seattle values his positional versatility and left-handed bat for bench depth.