Marlins’ comeback falls short against Phillies as injury list to key players grows
Add Miguel Rojas to the ever-increasing list of Marlins casualties.
It got so bad on Thursday that catcher Jorge Alfaro was deployed in left field for the final defensive inning of the game.
And yet the Marlins still had a chance to win on Thursday afternoon despite their short-handed roster.
But when Ronald Torreyes beat the relay throw from Isan Diaz to Lewin Diaz at first, it denied Miami’s depleted infield a double play and allowed Odubel Herrera to score the decisive run in the Phillies’ 3-2 win over the Marlins (24-26).
In addition to Alfaro making his second career appearance in the outfield, the Marlins were playing with an infield of Jon Berti at third and rookie Jose Devers at shortstop.
The moves came after Rojas dislocated the index finger on his left hand on a pickoff play at first base in the eighth.
Marlins manager Don Mattingly speculated after the game that a stint on the injured list was possible for Rojas.
“He’s not feeling very good,” Mattingly said. “He’s pretty sore. I’m not sure how long it is, but it didn’t look like a daily thing. It looks like it will be a little bit.”
While the Marlins haven’t officially announced the news, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp — Miami’s Triple A affiliate — put in its pregame notes on Thursday that infielder Luis Marte is being called up to the big leagues. Marte, who took part in big-league spring training, is hitting .263 with two doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI in 18 games. The Marlins have an open spot on their 40-man roster and all the infielders currently on their 40-man roster are either on the active roster or injured.
The Marlins are down three starters in the infield with Brian Anderson (shoulder) already on the IL and Jazz Chisholm (ankle) sidelined since Friday.
On the plus side for the Marlins, Garrett Cooper (quadriceps) was back after a one-game absence and tied the score at 2 in the bottom of the eighth with a single to right that scored Devers.
But Herrera led off the ninth with a triple off Yimi Garcia (3-3). Garcia struck Alec Bohm and intentionally walked Matt Joyce to set up the possible double play. The safe call at first was reviewed and upheld.
“I felt like we had the chance to turn the double play, and I went for it and threw to second,” Garcia said.
The Marlins also could get reinforcements early in their upcoming nine-game road trip as Mattingly said Starling Marte would travel with the team to its first stop in Boston. Marte has not played since April 20 due to a non-displaced rib fracture and went 0-for-6 while playing six innings in center field for Triple A Jacksonville this week.
“We expect him to be there [on Friday],” Mattingly said.
The Marlins also placed right-hander Nick Neidert on the 10-day injured list with right biceps inflammation. Neidert threw four innings and allowed one run on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks on 78 pitches in his first start in the majors since April 20.
Lewin Diaz was recalled from Triple A Jacksonville as the Marlins avoided having only two available bench players for the second consecutive game.
Diaz made a key play in the sixth when he snared a liner from Herrera and stepped on the bag at first to turn an inning-ending double play. At the plate, Diaz went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts — his last coming with runners on first and second with two outs in the eighth.
Pablo Lopez struck out five and allowed two runs on four hits with one walk in seven innings, but could not pick up his second win. Lopez has allowed two runs or fewer in nine of his 11 starts this season.
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
Devers recorded the first multi-hit game of his career during Wednesday night’s 4-2 victory. Devers also drove in an insurance run during Miami’s three-run eighth inning to score Jon Berti from second.
“It seemed like once he finally got that [first] hit in [Washington] D.C., his at-bats have been pretty good,” Mattingly said.
After a rough start at the plate, Devers said he has become more comfortable at the plate and is now 4 for 16 with two RBI this season.
“It’s just a matter of adjusting day to day,” Devers said. “I speak with the guys and listen to their advice and you start catching up to the game.”
Devers, who the Marlins acquired back in 2017 from the Yankees in the Giancarlo Stanton trade, had not played at a level higher than Advance A ball before his call to the majors this season. He has since been optioned once to Triple-A Jacksonville where he’s gone 8 for 32 with three RBI, four strikeouts, one walk, one double and one triple.
Devers, who is rated the Marlins’ No. 10 overall prospect by Baseball America, didn’t start Thursday, but entered the game in the sixth to play second base and walked and scored a run in his lone plate appearance in the eighth inning.
“It’s been fun to watch him grow in with these chances he’s getting up here,” Berti said. “I knew him from watching him in spring training the last couple of years and he’s got a lot of talent. A very young guy, but he’s learning a lot and his at-bats seem to be getting better and better with each opportunity.”
This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 5:14 PM.