With Rojas on IL, Marlins have options at SS

May 28th, 2021

While the Marlins await the severity of ' left index finger dislocation and monitor 's right ankle, they could internally fill the shortstop position in multiple ways.

Rojas, who injured himself sliding head-first back to the first-base bag while getting picked off in the eighth inning of Thursday's loss to the Phillies, was placed on the injured list on Friday. A time frame for his recovery won't be known until his MRI results come in.

Chisholm, a natural shortstop, has been the club's primary second baseman this season. Once he has recovered from the mild right ankle sprain he sustained on Tuesday, Chisholm will slide over to shortstop. Prior to Friday's game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, he took batting practice on the field for the first time since the injury.

Once Chisholm is back, the infield will likely look as follows:
1B:
2B:
SS: Jazz Chisholm Jr.
3B:

Until then, here is a breakdown of the club's infielders:

Jon Berti
Can play:
Second base, third base, shortstop
MLB experience at each: Third base (43 games), second base (38), shortstop (35)
What he has been doing: Has started all 15 games in third baseman Brian Anderson's absence

Isan Díaz
Can play:
Second base, third base
MLB experience at each: Second base (48 games), third base (two)
What he has been doing: Has started 17 games at second; made his first two appearances at third this week

José Devers (Miami's No. 8 prospect)
Can play:
Second base, shortstop, third base
MLB experience at each: Second base (seven games), shortstop (four)
What he has been doing: Spot starts, late sub

Luis Marté (first MLB callup)
Can play:
Second base, third base, shortstop
MiLB experience at each: Shortstop (643 games), third base (114), second base (63)
What he has been doing: Contract selected from Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday

The 27-year-old Marté slashed .263/.279/.456 with a .735 OPS in 18 games for the Jumbo Shrimp, and he appeared at first, second, third, short and left.

"The reports were good," manager Don Mattingly said of Marté. "Loved what I saw in Spring Training, really a little better than advertised. Came as a good defender, good hands, always been a little softer with the bat. We've seen him handle the bat well in spring -- was able to do some things, hits the ball the other way some, looked like he knew what he was doing and had an idea of what he wanted to do.

"I got a chance to talk to Luis when he came in today, so excited. He's one of those guys, first time in the big leagues, he talked about this is what he'd been working for his whole life. It was really cool to see that look on his face, getting to the big leagues."

AL rules!
Over the winter, the Marlins constructed their roster under the assumption the universal designated hitter might return in 2021. They played with the designated hitter for the first time this season on Friday. Former Red Sox catcher Sandy León served as the DH after Adam Duvall was scratched for precautionary reasons due to soreness in his left side.

"I think DHing is kind of like rest in a sense of not having to get on the field, so we'll use it like that and then make decisions kind of based on it," Mattingly said before the Duvall news. "If we feel like a guy needs a day, keep him in the lineup. We'll use it like that."

Without the DH, Duvall, Cooper and Corey Dickerson have been part of a rotation that affects left and right field. Starling Marte, the club's center fielder, hit second after being reinstated from the 10-day injured list on Friday.