JUPITER, Fla. – Imaging revealed a "very minor" right hamstring strain for Marlins All-Star outfielder Kyle Stowers, according to manager Clayton McCullough.
Stowers, who was scratched from the Grapefruit League lineup of Saturday's 10-2 loss to the Cardinals, has a one-to-two-week timetable for return to play.
"It was a good diagnosis," McCullough said. "We anticipate that in a few days we'll get him at-bats on the back fields and live [batting practices] and pitch designs, so he'll be able to get at-bats as he continues to get back into full-game shape."
Stowers couldn’t pinpoint a specific incident when he began experiencing the hamstring tightness, though he initially felt the soreness a bit on Wednesday and then into Thursday's game. Since it lingered, Stowers wanted to ensure everything was OK by undergoing an MRI. This marked the first time he had enough concern regarding his hamstring to warrant imaging.
"That goes one of two ways," Stowers said Sunday morning. "With the hindsight being 20/20, it was encouraging. Usually with a hamstring injury, you kind of feel like a pop or something. The fact I didn't have that was encouraging. So I think that was, again, all things are pointing towards positive news. Just got to flush out the soreness and keep taking things day by day."
The 28-year-old Stowers had appeared in three Grapefruit League games so far this spring, most recently on Thursday in Dunedin, Fla., against the Blue Jays, with nine plate appearances.
Stowers, who was a National League Gold Glove finalist in left field, will be counted on in the heart of the Marlins’ lineup in 2026 after a breakout campaign in ‘25. He hit .288/.368/.544 with 21 doubles, three triples, 25 homers and 73 RBIs in 117 games, though his season was cut short in August by a left oblique strain. During his rehab assignment, he sustained a setback with his right oblique and didn’t return last season.
"Given the time of the year that we're at and the date on the calendar, you take things very, very cautiously," Stowers said. "We've got some time. We have a great training staff. ... Hopefully we'll be in a good spot ready to go."
During Stowers' absence and Owen Caissie's participation in the World Baseball Classic, McCullough envisioned there being more opportunities in Grapefruit League games for non-roster outfielders Matthew Etzel, Andrew Pintar, Brendan Jones, Dillon Lewis and Kemp Alderman. Pintar went deep in Saturday's game at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.