Marlins call up two catcher prospects for final two weeks, drop series opener to Pirates
With the season winding down to its final two weeks, the Miami Marlins are continuing their attempt to give top-level prospects looks at the MLB level.
The latest two to get their call-up to the show: Catchers Payton Henry and Nick Fortes.
The Marlins promoted the two to the big-league roster prior to Friday’s 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates to start a homestand at loanDepot park.
Henry started the game for his MLB debut, recorded a leadoff double in the fifth inning for his first MLB hit, caught all nine innings and made a play at the plate to tag out Colin Moran in the first inning but allowed a sixth-inning passed ball to set up the go-ahead run for the Pirates.
The Marlins now have four catchers on their active roster in Henry, Fortes, Alex Jackson and Sandy Leon.
“Just given the timing with there being two to three weeks left of the season, as well as having seen Alex, we’d like to see a couple of the other upper-level catchers in the same context here in the same landscape, and thought this was a good time to do it,” general manager Kim Ng said.
Jackson and Henry were acquired at the trade deadline. Jackson joined the MLB roster immediately and has started 28 games but is day-to-day after being hit in the right hand on Tuesday.
Henry, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers for relief pitcher John Curtiss, is the 30th-ranked prospect in the Marlins’ organizatino according to MLB Pipeline, which scouts him as an above-average defender who has the ability to hit the ball to all fields.
“In terms of Payton, our homework, our scouts, people we’ve talked to really talked about Payton in the vein of, ‘This guy really prepares well for the game, his game management is very good, has an understanding, cares quite a bit about that part of the game,’” Ng said. “That’s what we’ve seen from our end.”
Fortes, meanwhile, was the Marlins’ fourth-round pick in 2018 and quickly rose through the Marlins’ system this year. He batted .245 with seven home runs, 44 RBI and 37 runs scored over 95 combined games with Double A Pensacola and Triple A Jacksonville.
“This is a guy who has a pretty good bat, and so we’re hoping that shows through up here as well,” Ng said. “But [he’s] also good with the game planning, good working with the pitchers, caring about them and all that, so we’re excited.”
How will catcher reps be split?
Marlins manager Don Mattingly said to expect “a little rotation” among Henry, Fortes and Jackson.
Jackson will most likely continue catching Sandy Alcantara. The rest of the spots are to be determined.
“Some of the younger catchers have seen Edward [Cabrera] and things like that,” Mattingly said. “Elieser was pretty simple. Sandy’s a little more difficult to catch. Alex has got more experience with him will probably keep that together.”
As for the other roster moves...
The Marlins placed Jorge Alfaro on the 10-day injured list and optioned Isan Diaz to Triple A Jacksonville to make room on the active roster for Henry and Fortes. Brian Anderson and Pablo Lopez were both transferred to the 60-day IL to make room on the 40-man roster.
Alfaro has been dealing with a left calf injury since Saturday, with Mattingly saying they “didn’t feel like he was going to be able to play 100 percent.”
Diaz had a .193 batting average with four home runs, 17 RBI and 25 runs scored in 89 games this season while primarily playing third base. Sending him to the minor leagues allows the Marlins to give Eddy Alvarez extended starting reps down the stretch.
Anderson underwent season-ending shoulder surgery on Tuesday and is expected to be ready for spring training.
Lopez has been on the IL with a right rotator cuff strain since July 17. He is expected to throw to live batters on Saturday at loanDepot park. Transferring him to the 60-day IL was merely a formality to open up a 40-man spot.
Game notables
▪ Elieser Hernandez gave up two unearned runs over a season-long 5 2/3 innings. Hernandez gave up four hits, walked five and struck out three.
▪ Alvarez drove in Miami’s only run of the game with an RBI single to right in the second inning. It scored Jesus Sanchez, who led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a Lewin Diaz single.
▪ Shortstop Miguel Rojas had four plate appearances on Friday to bring his season total to 500, the minimum needed for the $5.5 million option in his contract for the 2022 season to become guaranteed.
This story was originally published September 17, 2021 at 10:15 PM.
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