Marlins lose Elieser Hernandez for season

Elieser Hernandez, who has been out with a right lat strain since Wednesday, was transferred to the 60-day injured list, ending his season. Miami also optioned infielder Eddy Alvarez to the alternate training site in Jupiter, Fla.

“I think we just knew right away with Elieser that it was going to be like a six- to eight-weeks minimum,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “Obviously, going to the 60-day is not great news, but I don’t think it was the worst news it could have been.”

Losing Hernandez, who was having a breakthrough season, is a blow to the rotation. In six starts, the 25-year-old right-hander went 1-0 with a 3.16 ERA, 34 strikeouts and just five walks in 25 2/3 innings.

But on Tuesday while facing the Blue Jays at Marlins Park, Hernandez exited after two-plus innings. He went on the IL the next day with a right lat strain.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Day
For the fifth consecutive year, MLB and its clubs raised awareness for childhood cancer during all games on Saturday for a special league-wide day in home ballparks. MLB’s “Childhood Cancer Awareness Day,” held during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in collaboration with Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), combined a visual and ceremonial demonstration of support for the cause with outreach to local hospitals treating young patients in their communities. Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States and Canada.

As an organization, the Marlins are donating hospital gowns to Alex’s Place, which is part of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“Any time you deal with kids and using the word cancer is not a good combination,” Mattingly said. “You don’t want to ever see that. With kids, it’s just so heartbreaking.”

The Marlins joined all on-field personnel, including players, coaches and umpires around baseball in wearing gold ribbon decals and wristbands during Saturday's game against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Clubs also featured ceremonial activities in ballparks. Club activities included pregame ceremonies, cardboard cutouts of pediatric patients in stands at ballparks, virtual patient first pitches, virtual player hospital visits and more.

Childhood cancer awareness efforts in previous seasons have included special pediatric cancer awareness batting-practice T-shirts, online campaigns to empower fans to hold fundraisers for pediatric cancer research and donations to local children’s hospitals. MLB and its clubs have supported the fight against cancer through a variety of initiatives for many years. As Stand Up To Cancer’s founding donor, Major League Baseball has pledged more than $50 million to SU2C’s collaborative cancer research programs, providing invaluable support. Launched in 2013, the work of the Stand Up To Cancer/St. Baldrick’s Foundation Pediatric Cancer Dream Team has helped to develop new immunotherapy approaches and contributed to the development of two new treatments for difficult-to-treat pediatric leukemias that have been approved by the FDA. MLB has recognized SU2C at its jewel events since the '09 World Series.

“It’s obviously a cause that is worthy, and I’m glad we’re supporting them tonight,” Mattingly said.

Cooper resting sore quad
One of Miami’s biggest offensive threats was out of Saturday's lineup, and he might be off on Sunday, too.

First baseman/designated hitter Garrett Cooper is dealing with a quad issue. The 29-year-old experienced some discomfort while running to first base in Friday’s 5-4 loss.

Mattingly didn’t say which quad is bothering Cooper, but noted that head trainer Gene Basham said after Friday’s game that Cooper was experiencing discomfort.

“Coop felt a little something in his quad, so we’ll try to give him a day’s rest and see where he’s at, and then make a decision on that,” Mattingly said. “Running down the line last night, felt something.”

Cooper has been productive since being reinstated from the COVID-19 IL on Aug. 28. In the seven games he has played since that date, he’s hitting .276 with an .886 OPS, with two home runs, three doubles and seven RBIs.

“We’ll try to give him a day, maybe two, and then have to make a decision,” Mattingly said. “We have until Monday to obviously to make a decision.”