Marlins Piecing Together Roster After Deals, Injuries & Free Agents
Between injuries and cost-cutting, the Marlins have a much different look than when the Rockies saw them last August.
Only three of the primary starting position players from a year ago are in the same spots this year. The Marlins have traded four others, and moved Derek Dietrich from third base to left field. Jose Urena is the only holdover from last year's rotation, although it appears Wei-Yin Chen will be activated from the disabled list in time to start against the Rockies on Saturday.
How the 2018 Primary Lineup Compares to 2017
| Position | 2018 | 2017 | What Happened? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catcher | J.T. Realmuto | ||
| Bryan Holaday | A.J. Ellis | Filed free agency | |
| 1st Base | Justin Bour | ||
| 2nd Base | Starlin Castro | Dee Gordon | Traded to Mariners |
| 3rd Base | Brian Anderson | Derek Dietrich | Starting left fielder |
| Shortstop | Miguel Rojas | ||
| Utility | Yadiel Rivera | Mike Aviles | Filed free agency |
| Left Field | Derek Dietrich | Marcell Ozuna | Traded to Cardinals |
| Center Field | Lewis Brinson | Christian Yelich | Traded to Brewers |
| Right Field | Cameron Maybin | Giancarlo Stanton | Traded to Yankees |
| Outfielder | J.B. Schuck | Ichiro Suzuki | Filed free agency |
| Starter | Dillon Peters | Dan Strailey | On DL; Rehab option |
| Starter | Trevor Richards | Adam Conley | Optioned AAA New Orleans |
| Starter | Jarlin Garcia | Edinson Volquez | Released 12/13/17 |
| Starter | Jose Urena | ||
| Starter | Wei-Yin Chen | Vance Worley | Filed free agency |
| Closer | Brad Ziegler | A.J. Ramos | Traded to Mets |
| Reliever | Kyle Barraclough | ||
| Reliever | Tayron Guerrero | David Phelps | Traded to Mariners |
| Reliever | Odrisamer Despaigne | ||
| Reliever | Drew Steckernrider | ||
| Reliever | Chris O'Grady | Dustin McGowan | Free Agent |
| Reliever | Juunichi Tazawa | ||
| Reliever | Jacob Turner | Jarlin Garcia | In rotation |
A couple of established big leaguers are on the brink of rejoining the Marlins.
Third baseman Martin Prado and left-hander Wei-Yin Chen are close to being reinstated from the 10-day disabled list, with one or both likely to be active for Miami's series against the Rockies that starts Friday at Marlins Park.
Prado, recovering from a left hamstring strain, played seven innings on Wednesday night in a rehab assignment game for Class A Advanced Jupiter. Chen, who has impressed in two rehab starts with the Hammerheads, is expected to be reinstated and start on Saturday.
The Marlins have nine players on the DL, so getting a few of their veterans back will be a boost to a young squad that wrapped up a 3-6 road trip and is 7-17 on the season.
Chen has dealt with a left elbow strain for a couple of seasons, and in two rehab starts for Jupiter, he has a 1.17 ERA with 11 strikeouts and one walk in 7 2/3 innings. The 32-year-old last pitched in the big leagues as a reliever on Sept. 22 of last season.
The 2017 season was a rough one for Chen, who made five starts and nine appearances and logged 33 total innings.
Chen is lined up to start on Saturday, which means other rotation changes will be made. Left-hander Caleb Smith is coming off his best start of the season, allowing two runs in six innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts in a loss at Milwaukee on Sunday.
Current Marlins Disabled List
| Player | Transaction Date | Injury |
| Wei-Yin Chen | Placed on 10-Day DL on 03/28/18 (Retroactive to 03/26) | Left elbow inflammation |
| Garrett Cooper | Transferred to 60-Day DL on 04/13/18 | Right wrist contusion |
| Odrisamer Despaigne | Placed on 10-Day DL on 04/20/18 | Right forearm strain |
| Brett Graves | Placed on 60-Day DL on 03/28/18 | Strained left oblique |
| Elieser Hernandez | Placed on 10-Day DL on 03/29/18 (Retroactive to 03/26) | Dental surgery |
| Chris O'Grady | Placed on 10-Day DL on 04/19/18 (Retroactive to 04/17) | Sprained left shoulder |
| Martin Prado | Placed on 10-Day DL on 03/29/18 (Retroactive to 03/26) | Recovery from right knee surgery |
| JT Riddle | Placed on 10-Day DL on 03/28/18 (Retroactive to 03/26) | Recovery from left shoulder surgery |
| Dan Straily | Placed on 10-Day DL on 03/28/18 (Retroactive to 03/26) | Right forearm inflammation |
Prado has played well during his rehab assignment with the Hammerheads, and played seven innings in back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The question is how the Marlins decide to create a roster spot for Prado.
Outfielder Lewis Brinson is one of the organization's prime prospects, but the outfielder is hitting .146 with 34 striekouts in 82 at-bats, and is coming off a 4-for-21 road trip in which he struck out 14 times.
Also on rehab assignment is shortstop JT Riddle (right shoulder tendinitis), who played five innings for Jupiter on Tuesday and seven on Wednesday. Riddle is expected to spenD time at Double-A Jacksonville and possibly Triple-A New Orleans before he is activated.