Stowers is back on the field, feeling great and showing positive signs as he works back from injury and expands his positional versatility.
MIAMI — Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough announced on Saturday star outfielder Kyle Stowers will be activated off the 10-day injured list on Sunday.
“Everything from the rehab checked out,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough told reporters on Saturday. “He continued to check the necessary boxes.
The Marlins placed Stowers on the 10-Day Injured List due to a right hamstring strain suffered during spring training on March 22. He broke out last year with a .288 batting average, 25 home runs, and 73 RBI in an All-Star campaign.
“He's certainly a huge part offensively,” McCullough said. “It helps really lengthen out the lineup. The type of season that he had last year, the power, the on-base that he displayed. So getting Kyle back in the lineup will really be a nice boost.”
Stowers returned to Miami on Saturday after five games at Triple-A Jacksonville. He went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored during the Jumbo Shrimp’s 4-1 win over the Charlotte Knights on Friday.
“Physically, he's felt great,” McCullough said on Friday. “He was very encouraged with, like, how the hamstring was feeling.”
While he was not tearing the cover off the ball during what has effectively been a spring-training restart (3-for-17), the fact that he’s out there seemingly without issue or limitations has been a win so far.
“I think that was certainly the biggest hurdle, was just to ensure physically that he felt like he was in a good spot,” McCullough said.
Stowers played first base for the first time yesterday. The Marlins have mulled the possibility of adding that position to his skill set. He was recently a finalist for the Gold Glove at left field last year.
"I spoke with Kyle about this in November, over the offseason, that as much as I value and we do as an organization, positional flexibility and optionality,” McCullough said on April 6.
Esteury Ruiz and Maximo Acosta also played for the Jumbo Shrimp on Friday during the start of their respective rehab assignments. Acosta drew two walks and scored a run on Friday while Ruiz led off for Jacksonville but didn’t get a hit. McCullough said similarly to Stowers, they’re there to “build up the volume.”
“There’ll be some small breaks sprinkled in there, get them some back-to-back,” McCullough said. “I think with all of them, it’s a little bit different, what they’re coming off of, the length of time away, how they’re feeling. Especially with hitters, how’s their timing?”
The Marlins traded for Ruiz over the offseason with the expectation of utilizing his speed at the top of the lineup, especially after stealing 63 bases in the minors last year, 83 bases in 2022, and 67 bases in his only full MLB season in 2023. Acosta, who was a part of the package to Miami in the Jake Berger trade with the Texas Rangers, appeared in 54 games last year. They were both placed on the injured list during spring training with oblique injuries.
McCullough said after four days of action, they’ll assess them “based on how they’re responding to that stimulus.”
The Marlins nearly lost third baseman Graham Pauley, who left Friday’s 7-5 loss against the Milwaukee Brewers with an oblique injury.
On Saturday, Pauley was taking grounders at third during batting practice, but is not on the lineup.
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