First home game a ‘special moment’ for new Miami Marlins outfielder Avisail Garcia
Avisail Garcia, who lives in Miami during the offseason, had waited for this moment since he signed his four-year deal with the Miami Marlins in December.
The chance to play in front of the home crowd. The chance to see the fans for his new team.
He finally got that chance Thursday, when the Marlins opened their home schedule for the 2022 season against the Philadelphia Phillies at loanDepot park.
As the starting lineup was introduced pregame, Garcia smiled on his way out of the dugout as he joined his teammates down the third-base line.
“I love the city,” Garcia said. “It’s a special moment for me and my family for sure.”
The Marlins had to wait to get their first home game this year.
The original schedule had Miami opening the 2022 season with a seven-game homestand against the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers, but those games were rescheduled to later in the season because MLB’s 99-day lockout while the league and players association negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement lingered to the point where the start of spring training — and Opening Day — had to be pushed back.
So instead, Miami began its season with a five-game road trip against the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels, a stretch in which they went 1-4.
Garcia is one of eight new players on the Marlins’ active roster this season. The others: outfielder Jorge Soler, catcher Jacob Stallings, infielder Joey Wendle, and pitchers Shawn Armstrong, Louis Head, Tanner Scott and Cole Sulser.
Stallings, who the Marlins acquired this offseason in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, said he got to loanDepot park early Thursday in order to make sure he had his bearings at the ballpark he now calls home.
“Just wanted to find where everything is and all that sort of stuff and make sure I had plenty of time,” Stallings said. “It’s good to be here. It’ll be exciting to get out there with the guys in front of the home crowd.”
Pregame light show
The Marlins capped their pregame festivities before the game by utilizing the ballpark’s new multi-colored LED lights as they rolled out their new hype video on the center-field scoreboard.
Last month, loanDepot park became the first baseball facility in the country to install color-capable LED lights.
The Marlins also plan to host light shows in the ballpark and sync music with the color-shifting lights. This included a postgame show following Thursday’s game.
World Series banners
The Marlins unveiled banners above the left field scoreboard commemorating the 1997 and 2003 World Series champions.
Jeff Conine, the lone member of both World Series teams, helped unveil them.
The Marlins will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 1997 World Series when they host the Milwaukee Brewers May 15-17. Brewers manager Craig Counsell scored the winning run in the 11th inning of Game 7 of that World Series against the Cleveland Indians on an Edgar Renteria single.
Injury updates
▪ Right-handed relief pitcher Dylan Floro (right rotator cuff tendinitis) threw a 25-pitch bullpen on Thursday, his third bullpen session since the season began. Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Floro, one of the team’s primary closer options, remains “on the build.”
“He’s feeling good physically,” Mattingly said. “Now, we’ve just got to build him up and get some more strength in there.”
▪ Edward Cabrera threw a 20-pitch bullpen session in Jupiter on Wednesday as he recovers from right biceps muscle fatigue.
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