The Miami Marlins’ Sunday blowout took a hard turn when Kyle Stowers came up limping after stretching the lead to 10-2 in the fifth inning.
Stowers had just delivered a hit, then rounded first base and quickly reversed course, grimacing as he grabbed at his left hamstring. He left the field gingerly, clearly frustrated, and the club later described the issue as left hamstring discomfort.
Manager Clayton McCullough said after the game that Stowers will get further tests before Miami decides whether to put him on the injured list.
The concern is real because Stowers has already dealt with hamstring trouble this year. He missed most of spring training and the first three weeks of the regular season with a strain in his right hamstring.
Since returning, he’s shaken off a rough start and found his rhythm, posting a .897 OPS with 11 home runs in 44 games since June 15. He also had a big series against the Angels, going 6-for-11 with two walks.
If the Marlins need another first-base option, Jonathon Long is one name in the mix. Acquired from the Chicago Cubs in last week’s Braxton Garrett trade, Long has been splitting time between first base and left field at Triple-A Jacksonville.
In 103 games there this season, he entered Sunday with a .820 OPS, a .351 BABIP and a 21.5% strikeout rate. He has not played in the majors before.
Deyvison De Los Santos is another possibility. He’s already on Miami’s 40-man roster and, in his third season in the International League, has put up his best numbers since reaching Jacksonville, including a .782 OPS and an 18.5% strikeout rate. He also homered again on Sunday soon after Stowers exited.
Agustín Ramírez could also get some work at first base if Stowers is out. That fits with what Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said last week, when he noted the catcher is " trying to add versatility" by relearning a position he played in the minors from 2021-24.
Leo Jiménez is another internal option, and he was the player chosen to replace Stowers on Sunday. But his bat doesn’t offer the same upside as the other candidates, with a .215/.310/.289 line in 53 games.
Miami doesn’t play again until 6:40 pm Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving the team time to evaluate Stowers and sort through its choices.
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