The Miami Marlins are going to be without Owen Caissie for at least the next stretch, and the timing could hardly be worse.
On Thursday, the club announced that Caissie was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain. He had left last night’s game after feeling tightness in his right leg, and now the Marlins will have to move forward without one of their starting outfielders until at least after the All-Star break.
That absence comes while Miami is rolling. Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors noted how quickly the Marlins have climbed into the thick of things: “Caissie and several other Miami players have gotten hot lately and propelled the team into contender status,” Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors wrote.
“On June 7th, the Marlins were 31-35 and 14 games back of Atlanta in the National League East. Now they are 51-42 and only three games back.”
To fill the roster spot, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reported that the Marlins recalled outfielder Rece Hinds from Triple-A Jacksonville.
Caissie, a former top prospect with the Chicago Cubs, has put together a solid first season in Miami across 80 games. He’s hitting .239/.297/.459 with 12 home runs, 50 RBIs and a .755 OPS.
There’s also been plenty of swing-and-miss in his game. The right fielder has struck out in 39.0% of his plate appearances this season.
The 24-year-old was acquired from the Cubs over the offseason in the trade that sent right-hander Edward Cabrera to Chicago.
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