Isan Diaz reinstated after opting out of season. When might he return to Marlins’ roster?
Isan Diaz has taken the next step toward returning to the Miami Marlins this season.
The second baseman, who opted out of the season on Aug. 1 after the team’s COVID-19 outbreak at the start of the season, was taken off MLB’s restricted list and added back to Miami’s 40-man roster on Wednesday, according to the league’s transactions page.
Diaz is working out at the team’s alternate training site in Jupiter and has been doing so since the start of September when he applied for reinstatement. Marlins manager Don Mattingly did not give a timetable on when or if Diaz would be added to the active roster.
“He’s in Jupiter working out, either getting ready or staying ready,” Mattingly said Wednesday before the Marlins played the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park and about two hours before Diaz was cleared to return. “... If we need him, we’ll make the call.”
The Marlins view Diaz, 24, as their second baseman of the future. They acquired him as part of the Christian Yelich trade with the Milwaukee Brewers in January 2018 and were pleased with his development in spring training following a lackluster MLB debut in 2019 (.173 batting average, five home runs, 23 RBI, 17 runs, 19 walks, 59 strikeouts in 201 plate appearances over 49 games). Diaz went 2 for 9 and scored two runs over the Marlins’ three games in 2020 before their season was put on hold due to a COVID-19 outbreak throughout the team’s traveling party that resulted in 18 players and two coaches testing positive.
“This has been a tough week to see so many of my teammates come down with the virus, and see how quickly it spreads,” Diaz wrote in an Instagram story post at the time. “After much deliberation and thought, I have made the difficult choice of opting out for the remainder of the 2020 season. This has been a decision that I have discussed with my family, and I feel it’s the best one for me and my overall well-being. I will deeply miss my teammates and competing on the field. I wish my brothers the best and look forward to taking the field again with them soon!!”
The Marlins designated right-handed pitcher Justin Shafer for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Diaz.
In an unrelated move, the team also added outfielder Connor Scott to their 60-man player pool. He is expected to report to Jupiter on Thursday. Scott was the Marlins’ 2018 first-round pick and is the 15th ranked prospect in the organization, according to MLB Pipeline
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