Esteury Ruiz’s Impending Return to Force Marlins to DFA Outfield Veteran
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The Miami Marlins have a roster move to make in the coming days.
Per Fish on First's Kevin Barral, outfielder Esteury Ruiz has completed his injury rehab assignment and will join the Marlins in San Francisco before Friday's game against the Giants. To make room, the Marlins will designate outfielder Austin Slater for assignment, per Marlins.tv's Craig Mish.
None of the moves are official and have not been announced by the Marlins. Given that Ruiz will reportedly join Miami in San Francisco, the transaction could be made as early as Thursday but no later than Friday afternoon. By DFA'ing Slater, the Marlins will open up a spot on their 26-man and 40-man roster, which means Miami could make another move to its 40-man roster.
Austin Slater with the Marlins
Slater played a dozen games for the Fish this season and only recorded four hits, all singles. The 33-year-old posted a .174/.286/.174 slash line over his 28 plate appearances, and struck out nine times. He signed with Miami less than a month ago.
After his seven-season stint with the San Francisco Giants to begin his career, Slater has played for six separate teams since the start of 2024. He's averaged a .213 batting average over the previous two seasons, and has posted a career minus-3 defensive runs saved.
Ruiz has played more than 29 games in a season once since his rookie campaign in 2022, and it was a strong showing. He stole 67 bases for the Athletics, which was the most in the American League since Juan Pierre in 2010.
Ruiz Is a High-Upside, Low-Risk Addition For Marlins
Ruiz also hit for a .254 average and knocked 24 doubles, but rarely walked and didn't hit for much power over those 132 games in 2022. Defensively, he's a mess. He boasts a career minus-25 defensive runs saved, thanks to his league-leading eight errors in 2023.
He primarily plays center field but can play either corner outfield spot. With how Miami's outfield is set up, it's hard to imagine him being more than a bench role player, but there's a chance for more opportunity. The corner spots are currently occupied by young standouts Kyle Stowers and Own Caissie.
Caissie started the season hot but is now batting .225. He is a highly-touted prospect with an elite ceiling. Ruiz could see time in center field, especially if Jakob Marsee continues to struggle, but his 3-for-4 evening on Tuesday night could be just what he needed to get things going.
Super utility man Javier Sanoja has been electric to open the year and can play center field in a pinch, but has primarily started at third. No matter where Ruiz gets playing time, Manager Clayton McCullough has plenty of options and has an elite base stealer in his hip pocket at all times.
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Jeffrey is a sports writer located in Louisville, Kentucky, with a passion for sports, writing, and storytelling. He has hundreds of published articles across various platforms, including Kentucky Today, The Baptist Courier, FanSided, and more. Jeffrey is a senior at Indiana University Southeast pursuing a B.S. in Journalism/Media with a Minor in Writing. He has a beautiful wife, dog, and firstborn child on the way.