The Seattle Mariners are in first place and are contemplating their plans for Robinson Cano once he returns from the suspended list in August.

Cano won't be Seattle's full-time second baseman when he returns.

He received an 80-game suspension on May 15 for a violation of Major League Baseball's joint drug agreement.

Dee Gordon moved from center field to second base to fill in for Cano. As long as the Mariners stay in contention, Jerry Dipoto said Gordon will have at least a partial claim to the second base job.

"We have a pretty good idea of what we want to do, but a lot of it is going to be dictated by where we are in the standings," Dipoto said. "As versatile and athletic as Dee is, it's not that easy to go play center field for a month-and-a-half and then say, 'Oh, by the way, you're going to go play second base in the biggest game of your career when you just haven't been out there.' It's going to take some juggling and we'll have to figure out a way.

"That could allow for a time-share, so to speak, where we keep everybody sharp. But we do know Dee is going to have to play second base as we come down the stretch. Because if we want to be in the postseason -- which we do -- then we know who our second baseman is going to be. And it's going to be Dee Gordon."

Cano is in the fifth year of a 10-year, $240 million contract.