MIAMI – Kyle Stowers is "very optimistic" he will play again this season after landing on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain on Tuesday afternoon.
Stowers exited Sunday’s game after hitting a two-run single in the fifth inning, coming up limping and holding the back of his left leg after rounding first base. He left the contest with what the Marlins described as left hamstring discomfort, then underwent further evaluation to determine the severity of the injury.
"It was some point either right after I rounded the base or as I was rounding the base, stepping on the gas pedal to go for a double," Stowers said Tuesday. "And at some point around the base, I just felt it grab. It's kind of just one of those things for me having again gone through it, just wasn't a ton of ambiguity in what it was from my perspective. So, kind of knew right away that it was a strain. Just frustrating."
Stowers dealt with a Grade 1 hamstring strain twice during Spring Training, which forced him to start the season on the 10-day IL. With a 3-4-week timetable, Stowers wound up making his season debut on April 19 after a five-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville.
This comes at an inopportune time for Stowers, who had 13 homers, an .867 OPS and 41 RBIs in 57 games since June 1. The Marlins are also chasing down a National League Wild Card spot, sitting 3 1/2 games back of the D-backs and Phillies entering play Tuesday.
Last season, when first-time All-Star Stowers sustained a season-ending oblique injury, the Marlins remained in the race and didn't get eliminated from postseason contention until the final week.
"No good time for them," Stowers said. "I'll just say this: Last year, when I was down at the end of the year, this team played really well down the stretch, so this team's capable of winning games. We don't want to see anyone get hurt, whether it's me, whether it's any player in here. I know that this team is more than capable of winning ballgames and staying in the hunt. Obviously, I want to be out there really bad, and it's a bummer that I won't be for a little bit. But there's so many good players here, and we are more than capable of keeping this thing going."
Since mid-June, Stowers had turned into the club’s regular first baseman -- a position he hadn't played in his professional career -- in order to pencil in Heriberto Hernández, Griffin Conine, Owen Caissie and Liam Hicks’ bats in the lineup while also keeping his legs fresh.
With the departure of primary backup Hicks in the Deadline trade with the Rays, Conine, Graham Pauley, who was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville as the corresponding roster move, Leo Jiménez and Agustín Ramírez will be the club's first-base options in Stowers’ absence. Conine got the first call, starting Tuesday's series opener against the Pirates.
This also means that Esteury Ruiz, who started in right field, and Jiménez should see more playing time. The designated hitter spot is also freed up for Ramírez to receive more at-bats.
"It's going to be a chance for others to get some opportunity to go," manager Clayton McCullough said. "Excited for them to have a chance, some other guys to get in there, and then we'll just keep on rolling until we get Kyle back. ...
"Leo and Gus will continue to get some work there [at first base], and I think we'll determine if and when Gus gets out there, just kind of based on how that continues to evolve and how he continues to look. And certainly we have Graham here. Graham's a very talented defender, and certainly can see Graham coming into some games if he doesn't start [if] we have a lead late to shore up some of the defense with some of the less experienced guys over there getting some starts."