This Marlins prospect focused on getting better after injury-plagued pro start

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola’s Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

MIAMI -- Beginning his first full professional season on the injured list isn’t how Marlins' No. 3 prospect Aiva Arquette planned his 2026 campaign to go.

But Arquette, whom the Marlins selected seventh overall last July in the MLB Draft, arrived to Jupiter, Fla., for Spring Training with a left groin injury he had sustained back home in Hawaii.

After taking some time to rest and recover, it was clear to the Marlins and Arquette that it would need more than that once he resumed baseball activities. So Arquette, ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 35 overall prospect, underwent core muscle surgery that sidelined him for four to six weeks.

“It affected me the whole Spring Training, so I didn't really have a chance to really build up,” Arquette told MLB.com. “But this offseason, I did what I had to do to get better. So, I thought even missing Spring Training, I was in a really great spot coming back.”

A day after undergoing the procedure, Arquette was already reactivating the muscles. Within a few weeks, he started playing catch and moving around defensively. The following week, he was hitting.

When Arquette rejoined High-A Beloit on April 28, it snapped his longest stretch without organized baseball. Unfortunately, he experienced right wrist soreness two games in after going 3-for-8 with three extra-base hits and five RBIs. Arquette returned on May 6, and he had a hit in five of six games entering Tuesday. He is 6-for-25 (.240) with one double, one triple, four RBIs, one walk and eight strikeouts.

In the early going, Arquette is trying to incorporate what he worked on over the offseason before the core trouble. Like others in the organization, Arquette aimed to get stronger, to give him an extra tick of exit velocity and an edge on the basepaths.

According to MLB Pipeline’s scouting report, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Arquette naturally has bat speed and exit velocity due to his size. It’s a matter of lifting the ball to capitalize on those natural tools.

“Just getting the ball in the air a little bit, and he showed a lot of maturity,” director of player development Rachel Balkovec told MLB.com in March. “We don't have a ton of concerns. We always want to move guys as fast as we can. We're not a slow-moving organization, so I'd say getting the ball in the air a little bit more, and we'll see a little bit different player.”

In 27 games to open his pro career in 2025, Arquette slashed .242/.350/.323 with five doubles, one homer and 10 RBIs for a Sky Carp ballclub that played in the Midwest League playoffs.

Arquette, 22, quickly saw the difference between collegiate and pro talent, beginning with the usage of wood bats. The biggest takeaways were the importance of plate discipline against more talented pitchers and hunting one’s pitch.

“In the box, kind of just understanding my timing, understanding my swing, my load, my rhythm,” Arquette said. “And then defensively, just getting better at my feet, my footwork, my hands, just kind of everything. Everything around the game. I got faster this offseason. I got stronger. I think I checked all the boxes this offseason.”

Entering Tuesday, Arquette had started seven of his eight games at shortstop, with the other at second -- a position he played some at Oregon State University. He has also been getting pregame reps at third. The Sky Carp have the luxury of Arquette and Starlyn Caba (Marlins’ No. 6 prospect) as shortstops.

“This season for me, [take it] one day at a time,” Arquette said. “I still have a long season ahead of me. The goal is for me to keep developing an ongoing routine that fits me on and off the field, so whether that's my mental work, my rehab stuff, activation, just all that stuff that will get me through each and every day. I know if I do that, then the on-field stuff's going to take care of itself. That's kind of all I'm focused on, just being better every day, getting better every day, and being a great teammate for my team, and just having fun. It's my first full pro season.”