A grand return: Avi comes off IL to slug 1st career slam

MILWAUKEE -- Marlins right fielder Avisaíl García very easily could’ve called it a season when he aggravated his left hamstring on Sept. 10, winding up on the injured list for the second time since August. Instead, García put in the work to ensure he was back on the field.

Hours after being activated, he delivered the go-ahead grand slam in his return to Milwaukee to give the Marlins a 4-2 victory over the Brewers at American Family Field.

“I feel proud of myself for working so hard to come back and play and finish the season healthy,” García said. “Very happy moment for me, and I thank God for all I have done, because without him, I think it's impossible. We’ve just got to keep working and stay healthy.”

García’s disappointing first season with Miami parallels that of the ballclub’s placement in the standings. He knocked a career-high 29 homers for the Brew Crew in 2021, making him one of the top free agent outfielders on the market. That was enough to convince the Marlins to dish out a four-year, $53 million contract to their marquee signing.

Miami believed García, along with reigning World Series MVP Jorge Soler, would provide thump in the middle of the lineup for one of the Majors’ worst offenses. That didn’t happen. Soler was limited to 72 games due to back issues, while García entered the series opener with a 65 OPS+ in 92 games. Rather than fighting for a playoff spot, the 91-loss Marlins are trying to play spoiler.

“It's been a long year for him,” manager Don Mattingly said of García. “He's battled and really fought -- there was talk about not bringing him back, just let him get into the winter. But he wanted to keep playing and get himself healthy, so that was good.

“He's been fine. I just think playing at home is tough, and I think it's something that you don't really think about. You think everybody wants to play at home, but you come home, and you get maybe the biggest deal we've ever given out, and there is pressure that comes with that. And I think he tried too hard. Obviously, I think time off helps him to think about it. I think this winter will help him. I think he'll be a lot better next year.”

The 31-year-old García used his time rehabbing to not only heal his hamstring, but also lose 20 pounds (he opened the season at 250).

“I think this month that I was hurt gave me a lot of time to think, and what I have to do to get better, and to put myself in a better position to be healthy and contribute for the team,” said García, who was appearing in just his eighth MLB game since August. “Right now, my mind is in the right place. Just got to keep working hard and be positive. It's been a hard season for everybody, and just got to keep working. I think everybody should think what they're going to do to put themselves to have a better year. I think next season is going to be interesting for us.

“That's one of the things that I realized, when I was hurt, that I've got to lose weight. Like I said, I've got to put myself in a better position: my body and my mind. That's what I did, and that's what I'm doing right now. Nobody is going to take that from me, because when I'm like this, the best of me comes, so just got to keep working and stay healthy.”

García picked the perfect time to knock his first career grand slam, sending former teammate Freddy Peralta’s two-strike, 95.2 mph four-seamer over the center-field wall in the eighth.

The crowd of 23,122 -- hoping to see Milwaukee surpass Philadelphia in the NL Wild Card standings -- quickly went from thunderous cheers to silence.

“He just had a great approach against me,” Peralta said. “Bases-loaded homer is a huge swing for him, especially with two outs and that situation in the game. Good for him.”

It marked just the eighth homer and 35th RBIs for García. Despite that lack of production, he has had a flair for the dramatic. Twenty-three of his RBIs have come with two outs, including his ninth-inning go-ahead shot in St. Louis that allowed Sandy Alcantara to pitch a complete game on June 29. García hopes Thursday was the start of ending 2022 on a strong note.

“It's big,” García said. “I've been working so hard for that. I want to finish the season strong and healthy and get ready for next season. I think next season is going to be interesting for us. We've got a lot of work to do, but I think we're in the right direction, because as myself, I know what we have to do to get better for next season. And we will for sure.”