JUPITER, Fla. -- Miami returned an All-Star to action and saw another potential regular try a new position for the first time in a 7-7 rain-shortened eight-inning tie with St. Louis in a split-squad game on Saturday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
Left fielder Kyle Stowers, who had been nursing a hamstring injury, reached base once in three plate appearances and scored while making his first Grapefruit League appearance since late February.
Stowers drew a walk in the third, raced from first to third on Xavier Edwards' single to right and scored on Connor Norby's single to center.
“Pretty much any time the ball hits the dirt on the right side and goes through I'm going to push the envelope and be going,” Stowers said of his first-to-third sprint. “And then was as good as a time as ever. Got to rip the Band-Aid off.”
Stowers did appear to stumble a bit as he rounded second, briefly worrying Miami manager Clayton McCullough.
“Once I saw him re-accelerate and continue on and get to third, he was fine,” McCullough said. “So after the fact, no concern.”
Stowers played in three Grapefruit League games before the injury, notching one hit and two walks in nine plate appearances. Without setbacks, he's expected to be ready to start the season.
“Opening day should not be an issue at all,” McCullough said, and Stowers agreed. “He's right, now. We wanted to make sure we took the time on the front end here to ensure that this wasn't going to be something that lingered. We feel good about where he's at right now, and we're still where we are in the calendar.”
The 28-year-old left-handed hitting Stowers enjoyed a breakout season last year, hitting .288 with 25 home runs and 73 RBI while being selected to his first all-star game.
“If last year is what Kyle does every year, we would take that,” McCullough said. “I anticipate Kyle to hit for power, and walk, and continue to get better.”
Norby, acquired along with Stowers in the July 2024 trade that sent Trevor Rogers to Baltimore, played first base on Saturday for the first time in Grapefruit League action -- and perhaps ever.
“I was trying to think about the last time I played first, and I don't think it was ever -- not even in, like, when you're seven, eight years old,” Norby said. “I don't think I've ever played that position.”
Norby didn't look like a newbie.
“I felt pretty good as the game went on, honestly,” he said.
Primarily a third baseman who's also played second during his career, the Marlins are experimenting with several players at first base to help build depth and add versatility.
“He's been getting regular reps on the half field and doing some team fundamentals at first base,” McCullough said. “And I felt like now's the time here at the back half to give him some opportunity over there at first to see, because we want to try to create as many options for individual players to get themselves in the lineup - and then for myself within games, the ability to move pieces around depending on match-ups.”
McCullough also expects Norby to play some outfield before the end of spring.
St. Louis tested Norby's first-base skill early.
Second batter of the game, Alec Burleson, hit a two-hopper which Norby fielded routinely and tagged the bag.
In the second inning Norby started and punctuated a double play, returning to the bag and successfully scooping a one-hop throw from Cristian Hernandez.
“It was a terrific play,” McCullough said. “Coming off the base, nice play on a short hop. Start a 3-6-3, double play, which is not easy. Get back and find it and pick on the other end to finish it off. He looked comfortable over there, the chances that he got. Good that he got some action right away over there. And we'll just kind of see where this goes. But you know, all accounts, first time out there, he did a nice job.”