In a shocking turn of events, Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton will miss the rest of the season, manager Don Mattingly said Sunday (Twitter link via Joe Frisaro of MLB.com). The Marlins placed Stanton on the 15-day disabled list earlier Sunday with a left groin strain, though there wasn’t any word at the time regarding the severity of the injury. In providing an afternoon update, Mattingly referred to it as “serious.”
This is now the third straight year in which Stanton’s season has ended in premature fashion. The prodigious slugger’s 2014 campaign concluded in September after then-Brewers right-hander Mike Fiers hit him in the face with a pitch. Stanton then fractured his left hamate bone last June, thereby limiting him to 74 games. His latest issue came as a result of an awkward slide in the Marlins’ 8-7 loss to the White Sox on Saturday. All the more painful for him and the Marlins is that it came on the final out of the game.
Miami, which pulled out a 5-4 win over the ChiSox on Sunday, is now 61-56 and in possession of a Wild Card spot in the National League. However, it’s difficult to envision the Marlins maintaining their position without two of their best power threats in Stanton and first baseman Justin Bour, who hasn’t played since July 2 because of an ankle issue and isn’t progressing toward a return. The Marlins entered Sunday just 28th in the majors in home runs (96), and that’s with a combined 40 having come from Stanton (25) and Bour (15). Thanks largely to his home run prowess, Stanton produced an above-average line of .244/.329/.496 in 432 trips to the plate prior to his injury.
Going forward, Miami has a capable fourth outfielder in 3,000-hit club member Ichiro Suzuki, who – barring a trade – will turn into an everyday option, but he and Stanton provide vastly different skill sets. Although Ichiro has hit a solid .316/.388/.386 with matching strikeout and walk rates (9.8 percent) in 244 PAs, the 42-year-old has gone without a home run this season and has amassed a total of two since 2014.
Given that they haven’t been able to replace Bour’s power from within and surely won’t be able to make up for Stanton’s, the Marlins will consider free agent Alex Rodriguez, according to Craig Davis of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).
“He’s an available player,” Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said of the 41-year-old Rodriguez, whom the Yankees released Saturday.
If the Marlins were to sign Rodriguez, the right-handed hitter would likely team with the lefty-swinging Derek Dietrich in a first base platoon. Rodriguez hit a paltry .200/.247/.351 this year before the Yankees parted with him, but he’s only a season removed from swatting 33 homers. He also recorded an outstanding .263/.394/.532 line in 193 PAs against southpaws in 2015.
Mattingly spoke Saturday of Rodriguez, a Miami native and resident, saying, “There’s no reason he couldn’t play first. He has the ability to do a lot of things. We miss Justin a little bit over there at first. I don’t think we’ve been able to replace that. We’re always looking at ways of getting better in different areas.”
Regardless of what Marlins brass decides to do next, this is certainly a grim day for the franchise. Miami awarded Stanton a record-setting contract extension worth $325MM over 13 years in November 2014, and the fact that his season is over means he’ll ultimately run his missed games total up to 147 since then. Unlike last year, the Marlins actually have legitimate postseason hopes, making Sunday’s developments that much worse.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Man, can’t he get a full healthy season ?
It doesn’t seem like it, although I guess we can’t really count 2014, when he was almost killed by a fastball to the face, right? But yeah, it’s a bummer. I’d love to see him healthy for 162 and hit like 50 homers.
Holy Cow. That hurts, thought it would be great to see them make playoffs.
Why? So they can tear the team apart next year?
I guess you are one of the ones that believe they have broke the team down after both World Series.
Um…they actually did. It’s not a matter of belief.
After 97, yes. After 2003, they kept the team together well into 2005 trying to compete. So yes, it’s a matter of belief.
Yes if you consider trading derrek lee for hee seop choi immediately after the world series “keeping the team together” or how bout trading brad peeny in the midst of the best season of his career halfway thru 2004
Not to mention they didnt re-sign pudge who had signed a 1 year deal/10 mil with deferred payments before the season. Then they only offered him 2/16 mil so he left and got 4/40 from tigers. You would think they would be willing to pay more for one of the key guys in getting them that ring. But you’re right that they kept them together everyone elses perception is ridiculous.
Well, I was simply saying, as a Braves fan, would have been nice to see them make the playoffs. But if you all want to dig that deep into it, that is ok.
Terrible news. This guy is so talented.
I love Stanton but man does he get injured a lot
Dammmn
Dang that hurts
Should say ‘Stanton to miss rest of the season … again’.
Hopefully he can figure out a way to cover up his main flaw: Pitches low and on the outside part of the zone. He swings and misses at a lot of those, causing his average to be where it is right now. If he can at least foul them off or lay off them if they are balls, he would get more pitches in other parts of the zone which he can crush.
The only thing shocking about this, was that it took this long for Stanton to go on his “will miss the rest of the season” injury, as he does every season. Even though it’s a little late, I guess now is the time when the Marlins press the yearly “self destruct” button on the season. The Marlins will tank, A-Rod will be signed so the Marlins can market four home runs more than any other organization, Andrew Cashner will write “trade me” on his chest after being upset that he can’t grow out his beard, Mattingly will be fired with one week left in the season, and McKeon will manage the team the rest of the way.
It was a pretty great beard.
Glad the Red Sox didn’t mortgage the future like everyone wonted them to at one people were saying Bograts Betts and E-rod and one of there catchers
Bograts
Bograts
Wonted
Must be a massive injury to write him off for 7 weeks and for a playoff contender.
Wow only 3 out of 7 seasons has he played in atleast 3/4 of his team’s games. Maybe he’s on the reverse Jr path and will spend the last 9 years playing 150 every year.
Here comes ARod!! Lol
rip
Didn’t his season end in 2014 after being hit in the face? 3 straight years
Think they meant 2 years due to injury. Having his face shattered by a pitch is more of a freak injury and something he cant control
It doesn’t matter, it is still an injury. Could he control this injury?
Maybe they should trade for Gardner.
Sounds like Stanton should be traded to the Rangers for Prince Fielder.
That’s dumb
Me. Byrne, wouldn’t this be the third straight year Stanton’s season ended prematurely?
Yes. Thanks for the reminder! It’s updated.
Frustrating.
Coppy and the Braves should see how much the Marlins want to win now and offer to flip Kemp to MIA with their Olivera “savings” and that cash the Dodgers sent via SD.
That would be interesting.
At first I wondered if the first line of this article was the writer being sarcastic.
Even though the fans wouldn’t have liked it, they really should have traded him last season. He never stays healthy, not worth the money. And even when healthy, he has tons of power but is a low average hitter, definitely not a complete player.
Ouch… which hurts more, the groin injury or HoleCamels35’s critique?!
Liked
They never should’ve given him that 13th year.
Marlins and Mr Lurie are Smart .
They should dump this albatross, before another year of Injuries to this Muscle bound Freak, where he’ll lose most of his value.
I was against giving this Guy so Much money in the First place. They should if they are shew Dump him for Three or Four Top Prospects.
Lurie is no Dummy , he’s there to make money not run a hospital unit for Players.