The Marlins are set to lose one of their regular corner outfielders for at least a stretch, with rookie Owen Caissie headed to the 10-day injured list because of a right calf injury before Thursday night’s game against the Mariners at loanDepot park, according to a source.
Caissie’s issue had already started to surface earlier in the week. After Wednesday’s win, manager Clayton McCullough said the outfielder first noticed tightness on Tuesday, then got through his pregame work Wednesday without a problem. The calf flared up again during the first inning of defense, and that was enough to end his night before he ever came to the plate.
“Just felt that’s not something we wanted to really take a chance on, and we'll get some further exams done on him, and have probably a better idea tomorrow what's going on there,” McCullough had said Wednesday night.
The timing is a hit for Miami because Caissie had been producing as the club’s primary right fielder. He turned 24 on Wednesday and was hitting .239/.297/.459 with 12 doubles, 12 homers and 50 RBIs in 80 games.
His 12 homers were tied for second on the team, and his 50 RBIs ranked second as well. Since May 1, he had posted an .861 OPS.
With Caissie out, the Marlins have a few ways to patch together the corner-outfield mix. The right-handed-hitting Heriberto Hernández or Hinds could be in the picture, along with left-handed hitter Griffin Conine, depending on the opposing pitcher. Conine handled Caissie’s spot in Wednesday’s game and went 1-for-3.
Hinds is expected to be recalled to help fill the gap. Miami acquired him from the Reds on May 21 in exchange for right-handed reliever Zach McCambley.
In 131 big league plate appearances from 2024-26 with Cincinnati, Hinds has a .648 career OPS. At Triple-A Jacksonville, he hit .231/.296/.404 with three doubles and five homers in 28 games.
In Other News...
Astros Suddenly Have A New Deadline Threat In The Mix
A strong recent stretch has nudged Miami into an unexpected spot as the trade deadline approaches, and it has the front office looking at ways to keep the momentum going. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Marlins are weighing upgrades at third base, in the back of the rotation and in the late innings, a mix of needs that suggests they see a chance to keep pushing rather than simply standing pat.
Third base is one obvious area to watch, with Isaac Paredes and Eugenio Suarez among the names floating around, while the pitching side could lead Miami toward a deeper market of starters and relievers. The list of possible bullpen fits is broad enough to show how many different paths the club could take, and it leaves the bigger question hanging: how aggressive will the Marlins be when the market starts to move? [Read more 🡒]
Braves Suddenly Have A Real NL East Problem In Miami
Since June 1, the Marlins have gone from an afterthought in the NL East to one of the hottest teams in baseball, piling up wins at a pace that has changed the conversation around the club. They are now nine games over .500, sitting just 2.5 games behind Atlanta in the division while also keeping themselves in strong wild-card position, and the turnaround has been driven by a mix of steady production and timely contributions from players like Otto Lopez, Max Meyer and Liam Hicks.
The latest roster move only adds to the sense that Miami has real staying power, even as it manages a few bumps along the way. Owen Caissie is on the 10-day injured list with a mild right calf injury, and the club has already had to adjust around that absence while keeping its recent momentum intact, a reminder that the Marlins are no longer just chasing the Braves but trying to hold their place in a crowded postseason race. [Read more 🡒]
Otto Lopez Just Reached A Marlins Milestone Nobody Saw Coming
The Marlins kept rolling with their sixth straight win, finishing off a sweep of the Mariners and pushing themselves to 10 games over .500. In the middle of it all, Otto Lopez kept doing what has quietly become one of the biggest stories in Miami, adding another hit to a season that has turned him into the kind of everyday force this lineup has been missing.
Lopezs production has been impossible to ignore, even in a clubhouse that has suddenly found a rhythm from top to bottom. Janson Junk also gave Miami a needed boost in his return from injury, working five innings in his first appearance since mid-May, and now the attention shifts to a Guardians series that begins with Sandy Alcantara on the mound. [Read more 🡒]
