4:36pm: Miami has activated Alfaro and optioned Wallach to Triple-A, Daniel Alvarez Montes of El Extrabase tweets.
3:03pm: The Marlins have been without some of their top names, but the team revealed today that Starling Marte, Sixto Sanchez, and Jorge Alfaro are all taking steps towards returning to the active roster. MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola (Twitter link) was among those to report that on Tuesday, Marte will begin a Triple-A rehab assignment and Sanchez will throw his first bullpen session of the season. Alfaro, meanwhile, has rejoined the Marlins after his own rehab assignment, but he may not be activated from the injured list for tonight’s game.
Marte suffered a rib fracture back on April 18, cutting short a great (.316/.420/.491 with two home runs) start for the outfielder over his first 69 plate appearances. After over a month away, Marte’s rehab stint will likely last at least a couple of games, but assuming no setbacks, he should be on pace to return to the Marlins lineup in relatively short order. That would be welcome news for a Miami team that is struggling to generate offense, but even with a modest 22-24 record, the Marlins are still only two games back of first place in the congested NL East.
Getting Sanchez back on the mound would also be a boost to Miami’s rotation, as Sanchez has yet to pitch in 2021. COVID protocols delayed the right-hander’s arrival in Spring Training until the middle of March, and Sanchez was then sidetracked by shoulder inflammation. As of earlier this month, the Marlins were hopeful Sanchez would return at some point in June, which still seems like a realistic timetable if Sanchez is now ready to start throwing bullpens.
Alfaro was struggling to the tune of a .229/.250/.257 slash line over 36 PA before a hamstring strain sent him to the injured list on April 21. Veteran Sandy Leon has seen the majority of playing time at catcher in Alfaro’s absence, so Chad Wallach might be the odd man out when Alfaro returns since Wallach still has minor league options remaining.
In more Marlins injury news, pitching prospect Edward Cabrera threw a 20-pitch, live batting practice session on Saturday, and he will have a similar session at some point this week. Cabrera has been sidelined by an inflamed nerve in his biceps since February. The right-hander is regarded as one of the Marlins’ top minor leaguers and a top-100 prospect in all of baseball, but thanks to his injury setback, it doesn’t seem likely that Cabrera will make his MLB debut in 2021. Cabrera reached the Double-A level in 2019, acquitting himself well with a 2.56 ERA and 27.56% strikeout rate in 38 2/3 innings.
The marlins have a chance.
No they don’t!
They definitely do and they’ve had the most consistent run differential all year as far as the NLE is concerned. Even before the Metsies were ravaged with injuries their differential was bad.
Marlins are certainly a long shot, @metsfan22.
But they are only a couple games out, we’re almost to the end of May, & they appear to be getting a lot of firepower back from the IL.
It really looks like health/injuries is going to shape a lot of this summer’s pennant races. More than we’ll care to see. Just look how banged up your Mets are, for example. Pretty much every club is going through something similar right now.
Would I put money on them? No sir.
But I definitely wouldn’t be completely shocked if they end up hanging around the top of the NL East all season either.
Nobody is going thru something siimilar as the mets. But yes health will determine the race this year. But if everyone get healthy than I think the Mets would win. They have the best team.
Remember when a bunch of folks here wanted to trade the farm for the Reds’ Luis Castillo and were upset with Kluber’s signing? Good times…
And that’s why we play the game on the field and not on paper. Lots of people wrote off the RS and SFG but they’re for real.
We’ve been through this.
The Brewers – for example – had it worse.
Last I saw, IL placements were up over 40%(!) League wide. Very few teams have been unaffected.
It is myopic, unseemly, & a bit disingenuous to claim it is “worse” for your squad. Just hope that this it doesn’t get any worse for them (or anyone else, uh?) this season.
Looking at the constant influx of IL related updates here every day that doesn’t seem impossible.
Mets have a pretty good roster. They have new & significantly better ownership. & they are hardly lolMetsing at all anymore.
Relax, bro.
It’s okay to acknowledge other teams & even tip your hat to them once in awhile. For real.
Cabrera will make 2021…..debut during mid to late summer
Things can look good, but then Anderson leaves tonight’s game. Is any team going to be healthy this year?
Keeping the veteran Leon is probably a smart choice for the Marlins. He worked well with Christian Vazquez in Boston and i could see him helping Alfaro as well
.420 OBP in 69 PA…nice.