The Marlins suffered a pair of late-spring injury scares as Kyle Stowers and Esteury Ruiz exited split-squad games Friday, putting Miami’s outfield depth under pressure.
The Miami Marlins can feel the clock speeding up, and Friday’s split-squad games only added to that urgency.
In a worrying 30-minute stretch, according to MLB.com's Christina De Nicola, Miami lost two outfielders to injuries as Kyle Stowers exited against the Houston Astros in West Palm Beach and Esteury Ruiz left the game in Jupiter against the Washington Nationals.
Both players are set for further evaluation, but the timing alone makes this a troubling development with Opening Day so close.
Stowers’ situation feels especially concerning because this is not a new issue. The Marlins had already been careful with the All-Star outfielder after he dealt with right hamstring tightness earlier this spring.
He had only recently returned to Grapefruit League action after being scratched from the Feb. 28 lineup, and Friday was just his third game back. Before leaving,
Stowers looked sharp, doubling and scoring in the second inning before singling again in the third. That only made his exit more frustrating for a club that needs his bat in the middle of the lineup.
Bench coach Carson Vitale did not speculate much afterward, but his comments reflected the obvious concern.
Any time a player comes out of a game, especially with a recurring hamstring issue, it is difficult to feel optimistic until more is known. For Miami, losing Stowers for any stretch would create a major problem.
Before his 2025 season ended early because of a left oblique strain, he had emerged as one of the National League’s more productive hitters, finishing with 25 home runs and 73 RBIs in 117 games.
Ruiz’s injury may not carry the same offensive weight, but it matters in its own way. The speedy outfielder had been battling for one of the final bench jobs and brought a clear specialty with his baserunning.
After stealing an American League-best 67 bases in 2023, Ruiz came to Miami as a player who could change games late even if his bat remained inconsistent. If he misses time, it weakens the competition for that final roster spot and takes away a dimension the Marlins do not have much of elsewhere.
For a team still trying to sort out roles and get healthy before the season begins, this is the kind of late-camp setback that can quickly reshape plans.
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