Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins were reportedly "furious" Tuesday's game against the New York Mets was canceled due to unplayable field conditions.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the postponement came in part due to Citi Field's grounds grew not properly caring for the field as rains from Tropical Storm Ophelia took hold in New York over the weekend. The grounds crew reportedly did not tarp over the infield Saturday despite rain, and then created a "mess" of the field after later putting the tarp down.

While workers attempted to get the field ready for Tuesday night's game after rain stopped in the afternoon, neither team felt comfortable with the playing surface. The teams will instead play a doubleheader Wednesday, and the one-day delay may impact Miami's playoff chances.

Owner Steve Cohen apologized to the Marlins on Wednesday:

While workers attempted to get the field ready for Tuesday night's game after rain stopped in the afternoon, neither team felt comfortable with the playing surface. The teams will instead play a doubleheader Wednesday, and the one-day delay may impact Miami's playoff chances.

The Marlins currently trail the Chicago Cubs by 0.5 games for the final National League Wild Card spot.

Braxton Garrett, Miami's top healthy starter, was scheduled to start Tuesday night but will instead start the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader. Garrett would have to start on three days' rest in order to pitch in Sunday's season finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Marlins have managed to stay in playoff contention despite their rotation being riddled with injuries. Eury Perez and Sandy Alcantara are both on the injured list with uncertain return dates, leaving Garrett and Jesus Luzardo to spearhead the top of the rotation.

The Cincinnati Reds are the only other team with a realistic opportunity to unseat the Marlins or Cubs. Cincinnati is 1.5 games back of Chicago as the 2023 regular season draws to a close.

The Marlins close with three games against the Mets before finishing with three against Pittsburgh.

Six years after selling the Miami Marlins to an ownership group that included Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter, Jeffrey Loria has some criticism for his successor.

Loria said that he takes issue with Jeter's decision to remove the infamous home run sculpture that sat behind the center field fence at LoanDepot Park.

"Jeter came in and destroyed the ballpark," Loria said, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. "Destroying public art was a horrible thing to do."

The sculpture was moved outside in 2018 and still sits there today and functions as originally intended, lighting up when the Marlins hit a home run or record a home victory.

Loria said that the sculpture represented the culture of Miami and is disappointed that it sits outside the stadium, where it will decay due to the city's climate.

"I asked the artist about getting it back, and I told him I would help him find a new home for it," Loria said. "He didn't want to get involved. Now it will rot outside where it is… condemned to neglect and outdoor decay."

Loria owned the Marlins from 2002 to 2017 and the team won the 2003 World Series during his tenure. This was the only playoff appearance the team made during his time as the owner, and his relationship with the fans was strained.

He was the driving force behind the team's rebranding to the Miami Marlins from the Florida Marlins in 2012, and that sculpture was one of the highlighted features of LoanDepot Park when it was constructed as Marlins Park for that season. The team also switched to a more colorful uniform scheme, something the new ownership group has also moved further from in recent years.

Loria also notably was the owner of the Montreal Expos from 1999 until 2002 before the team relocated to Washington D.C. and became the Washington Nationals.

Buy me some peanuts and... hamburgers?

The Miami Marlins announced that they would be selling $5 hamburgers for Wednesday's matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies to celebrate the arrival of new third baseman and designated hitter Jake Burger, acquired ahead of Tuesday's MLB trade deadline.

The team landed Burger from the Chicago White Sox and Josh Bell in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians in an attempt to bolster the offense.

Burger, who is hitting .214 with 25 homers, 52 RBI, 44 runs and a .806 OPS, will provide some pop in the middle of the order. Bell, a first baseman and designated hitter option, is hitting .233 with 11 homers, 48 RBI, 26 runs and a .701 OPS this season.

It's unclear if the Marlins will later do a bell-themed giveaway. Maybe a promotion with Taco Bell. These are free ideas, Marlins' marketing team. You're welcome.

The St. Louis Cardinals are preparing for a rare sell at the deadline, and the Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins are all interested buyers.

Derrick Goold of The St Louis Post-Dispatch reported that those three teams have interest in players like Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery and Jordan Hicks.

"The Miami Marlins have also talked to the Cardinals about at least starters Flaherty and Montgomery," Goold wrote. "The Marlins recently dispatched a scout to evaluate a Flaherty start in person, a source confirmed. The Texas Rangers have shown interest in Hicks, and the Tampa Bay Rays have also looked into the pitchers the Cardinals have available. Those are teams industry sources have confirmed, but it is not a comprehensive list."

The Cardinals are 46-60 and currently sit in last place in the NL Central. They committed to a rebuild that does not include marquee stars like Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, instead focusing on players like Flaherty, Hicks and Montgomery who are impending free agents.

Flaherty is the big fish from the Cardinals given his past success, but he has struggled a bit in 2023. He is 7-6 with a 4.43 ERA in 20 starts, but he has been healthy for the first time in several seasons and his 106 strikeouts thus far are more indicative of his earlier, Cy Young candidate-caliber seasons. His seven wins also lead the team.

Montgomery is 6-9 with a team-high 3.42 ERA and 108 strikeouts. He is a seven-season veteran with experience in both leagues and could be an excellent back-end starter for a team making a postseason push.

Hicks has a 3.67 ERA in 40 appearances with eight saves out of the bullpen. He has been hitting triple digits routinely in 2023 and this velocity could be crucial down the stretch for a team that needs to address the bullpen.

All three are arms that could be valuable to a contending team and are on expiring contracts, so they would likely be pure rentals for whatever team acquires them. The Rangers are looking to end a playoff drought that dates back to 2016 and just acquired star pitcher Max Scherzer from the Mets. They appear to be more interested in Hicks, as stated by Goold, and adding a flamethrower like him to the bullpen could be crucial as the Rangers look to build their division lead on the Houston Astros.

The Marlins and Rays both have young cores that they would like to supplement, and experienced postseason starters like Montgomery and Flaherty don't become available too often.

Detroit Tigers All-Star Michael Lorenzen has caught the attention of two playoff contenders ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, the Miami Marlins have shown interest in the right-handed pitcher.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported earlier in the week that the Baltimore Orioles have also looked into adding Lorenzen.

With a couple of tweaks to the roster in the offseason, it's not hard to envision a scenario where Detroit is a favorite in the American League Central in 2014.

Lorenzen has been a bright spot for the Tigers, but he's also 31 years old and set to become a free agent at the end of this season. His performance this year is also a pretty significant outlier to the rest of his career.

The right-hander has made 18 starts, tied for second-most in his career dating back to 2015. He's surpassed the 100-inning mark for the first time in eight years and has the best ERA (3.18) of his career as a starting pitcher.

Boasting the best record in the American League, the Orioles (63-40) have been aiming high on the trade market with a great opportunity to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Baltimore was among the teams that reportedly made inquiries to the Los Angeles Angels about Shohei Ohtani before the three-time All-Star was pulled off the trade block earlier this week.

It would be a surprise if the Orioles didn't come out of the trade deadline with at least one starting pitcher. Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish are the only starters currently on the team with an ERA under 4.50.

The Marlins have already indicated they are going to be buyers ahead of the deadline. They acquired closer David Robertson from the New York Mets earlier this week.

Like the Orioles, adding at least one starter before the trade deadline will provide a huge boost to Miami's rotation. Reigning NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara has been a disappointment with a 4.46 ERA.

Eury Pérez was surprisingly demoted to Triple-A earlier this month after allowing one run in six innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 6. The start did come five days after he gave up six runs and recorded one out against the Atlanta Braves.

Miami (56-48) is in a tight race for a playoff spot in the NL. It is currently tied with the San Francisco Giants for the final wild card spot. There are five teams separated by one game in the NL wild card race, with the Chicago Cubs not far behind at 3.5 games back.

Despite having won four straight and climbing within five games of a playoff spot in the National League, the Chicago Cubs could still end up selling ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Miami Marlins are among the teams that have taken an interest in Cody Bellinger if the Cubs start dealing.

The Marlins and Cubs are two difficult teams to figure out. Miami has spent most of the season over .500 and in playoff contention, but its minus-25 run differential is ahead of only the Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies in the NL.

The Cubs haven't been over the .500 mark since May 6 (17-16), yet they have the fourth-best run differential in the NL (plus-45). No other team in the NL Central has a positive run differential.

If Miami hopes to make a run for the playoffs, adding a power hitter to the lineup feels like a necessity. The offense is tied for 21st in slugging percentage (.396) and tied for 29th in homers (91).

Bellinger could be one of the most sought-after hitters leading up to the deadline. He's having a terrific bounce-back season with a .314/.363/.540 slash line, 14 homers and 12 stolen bases in 292 plate appearances for the Cubs.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden reported earlier this week the Texas Rangers are a team that could have interest in Bellinger. Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted the New York Yankees could also make a play for the two-time All-Star if they decide to buy at the deadline.

Chicago signed the former NL MVP to a one-year deal in the offseason. He's been even better than even the most optimistic fan could have predicted after a rough final two years with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

There's an argument the Cubs should look to buy because there's no dominant team in the division and they've played better than their 49-51 record would indicate. They are only five games out of a wild card spot and six games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.

The Marlins will have a tough time in the NL East because the Atlanta Braves have the best record in MLB (64-35), but they are only one game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants (both 55-47) for the final two playoff spots.

Miami Marlins third-base coach Jody Reed suffered a fracture in his right leg after getting hit by a foul ball in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

"He's going to be down," Marlins manager Skip Schumaker told reporters. "I'm not sure how long, but he had an X-ray and the doctor said it was broke."

Griffin Benedict, a quality assurance coach on Miami's staff, replaced Reed for the remainder of the game.

Reed joined the staff last fall following the hiring of Schumaker. He had previously worked with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees' organizations in a variety of roles.

The 60-year-old was also an active MLB player for 11 seasons. He began his career with the Boston Red Sox in 1987 and had stints with the Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres and Detroit Tigers.

The Miami Marlins placed star outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain, according to baseball writer Daniel Álvarez-Montes.

Chisholm suffered the injury during Sunday's 6-3 loss against the Atlanta Braves.

He exited the contest after a sixth inning at-bat.

"I felt it right after the swing," Chisholm told reporters. "It felt like it cramped up. I went in the dugout and I didn't feel like it was releasing from the cramp."

Manager Skip Schumaker said that he and the team were obviously worried after the star outfielder had to leave the game.

"Anytime someone grabs their side, you're concerned," he told reporters. "We'll see what happens. ... He was feeling good at the plate, definitely changes the lineup. He changes the game."

When healthy, the 25-year-old has put together a strong season, hitting .246 with nine homers, 21 RBI, 14 stolen bases, 20 runs and a .745 OPS in 45 contests. Turf toe already cost the 2022 All-Star over a month of time this season, and his latest injury threatens to keep him out of action for a prolonged period as well.

Injuries have become a recurrent storyline in his career. A stress fracture in his lower back also limited him to just 60 games last season.

In the interim, utility player Dane Myers has replaced Chisholm on the active roster.

It's a tough blow for a 48-37 Marlins team that his trying to keep pace with the Atlanta Braves (56-27) in the NL East and now trails them by nine games. The Marlins currently top the Wild Card standings, however, though six teams are within three games of each other in the chase for those three spots.

Miami Marlins outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been reinstated from the injured list after missing 39 games with a toe injury, the franchise announced Monday.

Chisholm was placed on the injured list on May 16 after injuring his toe when he ran into the center field wall attempting to make a catch at LoanDepot Park during a May 13 matchup against the Cincinnati Reds.

Chisholm began his rehab assignment from the turf toe injury last week with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and could return for Tuesday's matchup against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Chisholm, a natural infielder, moved to center field this season with Luis Arraez, who was acquired in a January trade from the Minnesota Twins, playing second base.

The 25-year-old was having a solid season before going on the injured list, slashing .229/.291/.403 with seven home runs, 16 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 39 games.

However, his numbers are down from his All-Star worthy 2022 season in which he hit .254/.325/.535 with 14 home runs, 45 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 60 games.

The Marlins have performed admirably in Chisholm's absence with Bryan De La Cruz, Jonathan Davis, Garrett Hampson, Jorge Soler and Jesús Sánchez filling the void in the outfield.

Miami currently sits second in the National League East with a 45-34 record, six games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves. The team is looking to make the postseason for the first time since the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

Chisholm is under contract with the Marlins through the 2026 season with three more years of arbitration eligibility remaining. He'll continue to play a huge role in Miami's resurgence to the top of the National League.

Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker told reporters Tuesday that center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. will miss four-to-six weeks due to turf toe in his right foot.

The 25-year-old suffered the injury during the Marlins' 6-5 home loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.

MLB.com provided more information: "Chisholm injured the toe after getting it stuck in the left-center-field wall in the eighth inning on Saturday. X-rays came back negative, but Chisholm saw a specialist on Monday to get more information, and the Marlins decided to put him on the IL."

Chisholm, who made last year's National League All-Star team, is hitting .229 (.694 OPS) with seven home runs and 16 RBI this year.

Garrett Hampson replaced Chisholm in the lineup on Saturday, and he started for him in Miami's 3-1 win over the Reds on Sunday. Hampson is hitting .262 (.725 OPS) with one home run and seven RBI in 69 plate appearances.

Chisholm is a huge loss for the Marlins, which have already been hit hard with outfield injuries. Jesús Sánchez is on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain, and Avisaíl García (left back tightness) is on the 10-day IL as well.

Miami has been treading water through the first quarter of the season, going 20-21 and landing second in the National League East at the moment.

The Marlins will look to hit .500 Tuesday when they begin a home series with the Washington Nationals.