MIAMI -- The scuffling Marlins -- losers of seven of eight games -- gladly reinstated 2025 All-Star outfielder Kyle Stowers from the 10-day injured list to make his season debut on Sunday afternoon against the Brewers at loanDepot park. Miami slotted Stowers into the cleanup spot and started him in left field, where he was an NL Gold Glove finalist last year.
In a corresponding move, Miami optioned infield prospect Deyvison De Los Santos to Triple-A Jacksonville to receive consistent playing time as part of his continued development.
"Just excited to be back with the guys," Stowers said. "Just excited to kind of get into the rhythm of the season, ready to get things kicked off. Feels like maybe a slightly bigger day for me. But just one game of 141 left. Ready to just get in the swing of things."
Stowers, who began a rehab assignment with Jacksonville on April 10 for a Grade 1 right hamstring strain, collected 19 plate appearances across five games for the Jumbo Shrimp. He got a day of rest in between those initial contests before closing out with consecutive days of nine innings Thursday and Friday.
The 28-year-old Stowers started in left field three times, served as the designated hitter once and even debuted at first base to wrap up his assignment on Friday. He rejoined the big league club on Saturday in Miami.
“Everything from the rehab checked out,” manager Clayton McCullough said on Saturday. “He continued to check the necessary boxes. Certainly, there was a physical component with how he felt, how the hamstring was. He got back-to-back nine-inning games. I think he came out of that feeling like he's in a really good spot physically, and also, I think mentally, now he feels like, ‘OK, I'm over this.’”
Miami closely monitored Stowers, who had a disjointed Spring Training with just 17 total plate appearances in six Grapefruit League contests. He exited his March 20 split-squad game in West Palm Beach, Fla., with a tight right hamstring, the same one he strained earlier in camp and missed time for.
"The hamstring injury was new for me, something I never really experienced, so just going through the whole process I've never done before," Stowers said. "I didn't really particularly know exactly what to look for, what not to look for. Just wanted to be comfortable playing."
Stowers' return comes at the perfect time for the Marlins. During this recent rough patch, Miami has averaged 3.5 runs per game -- a number skewed by the 10 runs the club scored in its lone win in this stretch.
"We need [a spark] right now," said Connor Norby, who drove in one of the Marlins' two runs on Saturday. "It feels like every bounce is not going our way. It's frustrating. Long innings, not great from at-bat to at-bat. It's not great baseball, and it's frustrating. But 20 however many games in, we've got plenty of time. No panic. Obviously, when you add [Stowers'] bat in it helps a ton, giving us that ability to hit the three-run homer, to hit the double when we need it. And just from a clubhouse standpoint, he's an unbelievable leader. I know I look up to him a lot, and I lean on him a lot. To say that we're happy to have him back is an understatement."
Prior to a season-ending left oblique strain last August, Stowers blossomed into one of the NL’s top hitters, ranking among its leaders in various offensive categories. In 117 games, he crushed a team-high 25 homers and tallied 73 RBIs (second most).
Stowers, who became a first-time All-Star and NL Gold Glove finalist during a breakout 2025, will slot nicely into the middle of the order in a run-producing role. Miami entered Sunday tied for the third-fewest home runs in the Majors, though the lineup ranked 15th in wRC+ (101).
“He's certainly a huge part offensively,” McCullough said. “It helps really lengthen out the lineup. The type of season that he had last year, the power, the on-base that he displayed. So getting Kyle back in the lineup will really be a nice boost, help lengthen some things out. And then also, Kyle's a really steady teammate. A lot of guys lean on him. He's not usually too up and down.
“He handles things in stride very well, and a lot of that probably is due to just his path of getting there. He's been knocked down a lot, but he keeps getting up. So Kyle brings a lot on both fronts, on the field and behind the scenes.”