Marlins make two lineup changes before finale vs Red Sox as Cooper, Gurriel scratched
Within a span of about a half hour, the Miami Marlins had to make not one but two lineup changes ahead of their series finale against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at Fenway Park.
First, it was Garrett Cooper being scratched from his designated hitter start due to an illness. Then, it was first baseman Yuli Gurriel being removed after taking a ball to the nose while getting in some pregame defensive work.
Gurriel walked off the field under his own power with team trainers by his side and a towel over his face to contain the bleeding.
“He was bleeding a lot right there,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said of Gurriel. “Tough break for him and for us.”
Schumaker said Cooper should be available off the bench as Miami tries to sweep the Red Sox after winning the first two games 10-1 on Tuesday and 6-2 on Wednesday.
But with that, here’s the full lineup:
1.) Luis Arraez playing first base (originally at second base)
2.) Jorge Soler at designated hitter (originally in left field)
3.) Bryan De La Cruz in left field (originally in right field)
4.) Jazz Chisholm Jr. in center field (unchanged)
5.) Jean Segura at third base (originally not in the lineup)
6.) Joey Wendle at shortstop (same position but originally batting seventh)
7.) Jon Berti at second base (originally at third base and batting ninth)
8.) Jesus Sanchez in right field (originally not in the lineup)
9.) Nick Fortes catching (originally batting eighth)
“We’re lucky and fortunate when stuff happens like that that you have a lot of versatility on your roster,” Schumaker said. “You can move guys around. Segura, I was trying to get him [a day] off because he’s just coming off the IL. I didn’t want to run him into the ground. Just trying to find a day. We’re trying to find a day for Jazz as well coming up.”
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