Marlins Place Key Slugger on the Injured List

The Miami Marlins have put one of their key sources of offense on the injured list

The struggling Miami Marlins offense is now going to be missing a key contributor for a while.

Corner infielder Jake Burger, who leads the team in both home runs (three) and RBIs (fifteen), is being placed on the injured list with an oblique injury, according to reports. The team has not yet officially announced the transaction.

Burger, 28, was acquired at the trade deadline last season for pitcher Jake Eder. In the sixty-nine games he's played for Miami since the trade, he's batted .286/.338/.486 with twelve homers, 43 RBIs, and 35 runs while spending time at both first and third base.

It's a significant improvement on his numbers from the Chicago White Sox, where he spent the first two-plus years of his career. His Chicago batting average was only .230 with a strikeout rate in the low 30% range - that's dropped to the low 20% range with Miami. The Marlins were banking on Burger helping replace the lost power production of Jorge Soler, who opted out of the rest of his contract and took his 36 homers to the San Francisco Giants in free agency.

But with Burger out, Miami's calling up prospect Otto López. The 25-year-old was claimed off of waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays in early April and has been raking for AAA Jacksonville; he's gone 15-27 in his seven minor league games, with two homers and six RBIs.

López, who has minor league experience at every non-first base infield spot and all three outfield positions, will provide valuable depth on the roster with the injury departure of utilityman Vidal Bruján on Sunday. Bruján tweaked a knee on an 5th-inning double and was later removed from the game. Officially diagnosed with "right knee discomfort", the team has not yet indicated whether Bruján will require an injured list stint.