Miami tinkering with versatile young talent

MIAMI -- Since shopping veterans at the Trade Deadline, the Marlins have experimented with younger players in new situations, roles and positions. That won't change over the final 42 games of the 2021 season.

Rookie Bryan De La Cruz, acquired from the Astros for Yimi García, started in center field for the first time in his Major League career in Wednesday's series finale against the Braves at loanDepot park. He also has gotten reps in left and right field. In Tuesday's 2-0 loss, catcher Jorge Alfaro started at first base for the first time as a Marlin. When Miami dealt for Alex Jackson at the Deadline, Alfaro began receiving looks in left field.

"I would say the biggest thing in that is to give everyone a look in the organization at different places for guys, so that when front office and player development are all getting together and they're looking in the winter at what they're trying to do for next season, they've got some sort of idea of what they see," manager Don Mattingly said. "You want to give the organization an opportunity to make decisions, and so you want to see them in different places a little bit.

"Like Isan DíazIsan [Díaz]: We want to see him at third. Let's see what Isan at third is like. We kind of know what second looks like, and as you're trying to build a roster with versatility and guys can play different spots, do different things, that's when those decisions are important for people to know what everybody can do."

With Alfaro at first on Tuesday, Jesús Aguilar didn't start. With Díaz at third on Wednesday, Brian Anderson received a breather. Díaz manning the hot corner at the MLB level is a development that surfaced earlier this season. On Monday, Jazz Chisholm Jr. started at short for Miguel Rojas. The rookie had been considered the shortstop-in-waiting. This thinking has an eye toward the future, in particular whether certain players will be part of it.

"I hate to say, you know, 'Andy's going to get a day off every three days' or whatever, but we do want to see Isan, and we want to see him at second, and we want to see him at third," Mattingly said. "We do want to see Jazz at short. And all the guys. We want to see Jorgie at first. ... But to do that, we've got to give guys days. Obviously we're trying to win every time we put a lineup out there -- you're trying to win, and you think you can win with that group -- but at this point, you're also trying to give the organization a good look at everyone, getting back to that decision process for the winter."

Plan for Rogers

Rookie left-hander Trevor Rogers was back with the club on Tuesday after being transferred from the bereavement list to the restricted list. He had previously been on the family medical emergency list.

The 23-year-old Rogers has been away from the team since Aug. 3, and he has not pitched since July 31. The Marlins will not rush him.

"There is a plan to get him back ready to play," Mattingly said on Wednesday. "I think there's a certain window -- I'm not sure exactly how long that is and when that started. I would assume it started yesterday [since] he was back first day yesterday. It's only fair to be able to get him back to health. He's been off long enough that we just can't go out there and expect him to throw six innings, just 'cause he's back in town.

"We'll have to build him just a little bit to get him back to where it's safe to put him back out there again, and that he's feeling comfortable enough to be back out there."