Marlins call up No. 4 prospect Chisholm

The Marlins recalled infielder Jazz Chisholm, the club’s No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, from the alternate training site on Tuesday, and he will be given a chance to win the second-base job.

But Chisholm made his big league debut as a defensive substitute in the top of the eighth inning for shortstop Miguel Rojas, who left the game because of a sore abdomen. He didn’t have much time to celebrate the moment because Cavan Biggio, the first batter of the frame, lined out to Chisholm on the first pitch from Marlins reliever James Hoyt in Miami's 3-2 win over Toronto at Marlins Park.

“Who knows where this goes? But for now, Jazz is a guy that's going to be part of our club,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said before the game. “We just move forward until whenever. He may never ever leave here, right? You don't know that. These young guys, they could go back and forth, but some guys come up one day and just say, ‘You know what? I’m never leaving.' And they prove it.”

• What to expect from Jazz Chisholm in MLB

The Marlins started Jon Berti at second base for the series opener. Isan Díaz, who will reportedly rejoin Miami's player pool after electing not to play the rest of the 2020 season at the beginning of August, is also an option in the future.

“[Díaz] has only been back in Jupiter for like two or three days, so this has not been a situation where he's been down there playing for three weeks or been down there playing every day,” Mattingly said. “He was out for a while and he's down there playing and it sounds like he's swinging the bat OK, but Jazz has been there the whole time. He's been working, and we felt like he was the right guy for this time period.”

Chisholm, whom the Marlins acquired in last year's trade with the D-backs for starter Zac Gallen, is primarily a shortstop. But with Rojas entrenched in the position and Jonathan Villar dealt to the Blue Jays, Chisholm will get looks at second, where he has just one game of experience across four Minor League seasons.

"He’s working hard and actually been playing quite a bit of second base, and that's kind of where we see his niche or fit with our club, playing some second, maybe giving him a day at short now and then," Mattingly said. "Jazz is part of the club right now, so we'll try to fit him and set him up to have success and put him in good situations."

To make room for Chisholm, the club optioned Jesús Sánchez (No. 5 prospect). Starling Marte joining Corey Dickerson, Matt Joyce and Lewis Brinson in the outfield made Sánchez (1-for-25) the odd man out. He will be able to get more seasoning in Jupiter, Fla.

No crash course for Marte
One of the advantages of acquiring a player like Marte at the Trade Deadline is the ability to insert him into the lineup immediately.

That’s exactly what Mattingly did Tuesday, slotting his new everyday center fielder into the second spot of the order, and it paid off as Marte hit the go-ahead homer in the eighth.

On Monday, the Marlins acquired Marte from the D-backs in exchange for left-hander Caleb Smith, righty Humberto Mejía and a player to be named. Marte has a $12.5 million club option for 2021, with a $1 million buyout.

“Center field has been an area that we weren't quite sure where we're going with and it has been mix and match, which is not the best scenario, but when you get a guy like this, you put him in the center and you let him roll,” Mattingly said.

“He's having a good year and we've seen him in the past. The guy is quick-twitch with a great body. He’s one of these dynamic players and fits right into what really we're trying to get to all the time.”

The Marlins have used five players in center field this season: Monte Harrison, Magneuris Sierra, Berti, Brinson and Villar. Marte will get most of the action there going forward.

Put simply, Marte makes the Marlins better. He batted .311/.384/.443 with 23 runs, eight doubles, one triple, two homers, 14 RBIs and five steals with the D-backs. His presence can take some pressure off of the other hitters in the lineup. Marte also has the type of personality that can keep the players loose in the dugout and the clubhouse.

“I hope our guys can relax, but also put pressure on themselves,” Mattingly said. “We need everybody, so [Marte’s] another quality bat and quality guy in the locker room. He’s a guy that stabilizes center field that can do a lot of things. And he's here for a couple of years.”

Worth noting
• Jesús Aguilar, who has been out since last Wednesday with back stiffness, is ready to play and will likely return to the starting lineup Wednesday.

• The Marlins designated for assignment longtime pitcher Adam Conley and outrighted left-hander Josh D. Smith to the alternate training site.