Marlins Set to Promote Top Prospect if Christopher Morel Hits Injured List
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Christopher Morel was scratched from the Miami Marlins' Opening Day lineup on Friday night due to a left oblique strain. He will undergo imaging on Saturday, but things aren't looking good so far.
"Things happen like that sometimes Owen (Caisse) gets put in there, steps up, great at bat ... credit to him," Manager Clayton McCullough said.
His presumed replacement was set to be called up on Saturday. Fish on First's Kevin Barral reported that the Marlins will call up Deyvison De Los Santos, who spent most of last season at Triple-A Jacksonville, and could make his MLB debut.
De Los Santos certainly earned a spot on the big league roster, especially after his strong spring training. He batted .286, failed to get an extra base hit but played well in limited action.
Connor Norby played first base in Morel's stead on Friday night and enjoyed a nice evening. Norby went 2-for-3 with a double in the 2-1 Opening Day victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Last season wasn't kind to De Los Santos, but he was an elite prospect at this time last season.
De Los Santos hit .240/.313/.359 over 111 games last season. He hit a dozen homers and drove in 54 runs. Entering 2025, De Los Santos was the Marlins' No. 12-ranked prospect after his strong 2024 campaign. He hit 40 homers and drove in 120 runs across 137 games and three different teams.
Miami acquired De Los Santos in late July of 2024 from the Diamondbacks in exchange for A.J. Puk. De Los Santos has split time 50/50 between first base and third base throughout his career.
If Christopher Morel Misses Time, de Los Santos Has the Ceiling To Step Up in a Big Way
If Morel misses time or requires an IL stint, De Los Santos should be a strong candidate for playing time. He hit a homer and drove in three runs in his first Triple-A game of the season on Thursday night.
Morel signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Marlins this offseason after a lackluster 2025 season with the Rays. He produced a -0.3 bWAR over 105 games and had a .219 batting average.
Morel has produced at a high level offensively early in his career, but the last two seasons have been rough. Prior to being traded to the Rays from the Cubs, Morel hit 26 homers and drove in 70 runs in his sophomore campaign in 2023.
Unfortunately, the last two seasons have culminated in a small-prove-it deal, but he has the ceiling to be an above-average hitter, and has proved it at times. The all-important imaging will say a lot, but the Marlins will certainly miss Morel if he is out for any period of time.
