The Seattle Mariners just completed a strong series on the road again, almost sweeping the New York Yankees for the first time since 2002. Instead, they had to settle for going 2-1 in the series. In the battle of Japanese star pitchers, Masahiro Tanaka bested Hisashi Iwakuma to give the Yankees a much-needed win. One player who did not help Iwakuma and has been a hindrance rather than a producer is Kyle Seager.

Seager has continued to struggle at the plate to start the season. In his last four starts, he is 0-for-17. Not only is Seager not hitting, he is taking away scoring chances almost every at-bat. He hit into two double plays on Friday, was given the day off on Saturday and hit into a fielder’s choice (extremely close to a double play) with the bases loaded on Sunday.

The real worry about this funk he can’t seem to break out of is that he is considered part of the core that GM Jerry Dipoto wanted to build around to create a winning team. Seager has only hit .119 in 11 games with 10 strikeouts and grounded into four double plays. That is in 42 at-bats.

There is no viable replacement at third base if Seager continues to struggle either. D.J. Peterson struggled mightily in Double-A and Triple-A last year, and he isn’t doing much better to start the 2016 season. Luis Sardinas is a very capable utility infielder, but I’m not sure he would succeed the same way in an everyday role.

Third base has always been a tough position to fill. The need for a defensive player who happens to play at a position known for power at the plate can be a tall order to fill. This is essentially the reason why Seager was given a seven-year, $100 million contract back in 2014. His 20-plus home runs a year are a huge boost to the Mariners, but his .261 career average and tendency to strike out don’t really mesh well with the new philosophy of the Mariners.

Seager is not going anywhere though. He is a huge part of the Mariners, the clubhouse and the future of the club. Dipoto has been rather upfront with fans on what his plan for the Mariners is and Seager is firmly planted in the future. That is where the scary part comes about. So what happens if Seager continues on the path he is on? That is very unlikely, but Seager has never been a huge star in the first place.

Combine Seager’s recent ineffectiveness, the lack of a backup at his position and the commitment that the Mariners have put into him and you have the potential for a major problem. Realistically, it will most likely not be an issue. Seager has slumped to start the season before, just not at this degree of bad. With the other problems the Mariners have and are facing, though, Seager not hitting is the last thing the team really wants to worry about.