MIAMI – A year ago, Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers began his All-Star campaign with the franchise’s first walk-off victory on Opening Day. This time around, he will begin the season on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Sunday) with a Grade 1 right hamstring strain.
The plan is for the Marlins to reassess Stowers in three to four weeks.
"Obviously, I'm anxious to get back out there," Stowers said ahead of Thursday's workout at loanDepot park. "I just want to be on the field playing with these guys. With such a great training staff in there, we're all doing everything we can to make sure that's as soon as possible. Given that it's Opening Day tomorrow, it feels like such a huge deal. And it is, never want to miss games. But I think it's one of those things that take care of it now, and still have the chance to play in about 140-plus games this year. Hopefully in August, this is something that we all forget about."
Stowers, who strained his right hamstring earlier this spring, exited Friday night’s split-squad game against the Astros in West Palm Beach, Fla., with tightness in the same hamstring in the bottom of the third. He had singled and advanced to second in the top of the frame, then went on contact and felt the tightness while rounding third on Liam Hicks’ popout to end the inning.
When Miami first scratched Stowers from its Feb. 28 lineup, the organization played things carefully after a minor strain diagnosis. Before returning to Grapefruit League action on March 14, Stowers built up a running progression and got live at-bats on the back fields to stay sharp at the plate. Friday marked just his third game back.
"It feels a little bit different," Stowers said. "The last one was a little bit more just inflammation. You can't really disconnect the two, obviously, being so close, but this one's a little bit more different. We'll adjust accordingly."
During Wednesday's workout, Stowers threw, hit and ran as he builds up his workload and intensity. More importantly, he felt good on Thursday in recovery.
The 28-year-old Stowers, who was the subject of extension rumors this offseason, will be missed in the Marlins’ lineup. When his season prematurely ended due to a left oblique strain last August, Stowers had knocked 25 homers with 73 RBIs in 117 games and had established himself as one of the National League’s top batters.
Miami went 21-19 the remainder of the season and wasn’t eliminated from postseason contention until the final road series with Stowers shelved.
"If I'm being honest, it's tough not to [go], 'Oh man, I ended the season hurt, starting the season hurt, bummer,'" Stowers said. "But those two are not connected. It's two different things. I love playing, and I want to be on the field as much as possible. I love playing every day, so I'm just really excited to get back out to playing and just need to take care of this, and we'll get to do that."
Miami also placed outfielder Esteury Ruiz, whom the Marlins acquired from the Dodgers via trade in December and was battling for a bench spot, on the IL (retroactive to Sunday) due to a high-grade oblique strain. He sustained that injury in Friday night’s split-squad game in Jupiter, Fla. Ruiz has a six-to-eight-week timetable for return.
This marks the second straight year that the Marlins have lost key position players to injuries during the latter stages of camp. Both Connor Norby and outfielder Jesús Sánchez opened the season on the IL with left oblique strains in March 2025.
With Stowers and Ruiz out, the Marlins rounded out their Opening Day roster by signing outfielder Austin Slater to a one-year deal on Wednesday. The nine-year veteran rakes against lefties, with a .787 career OPS.
“I think what it means is one, we want to get Kyle healthy,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “We all know Kyle's a big part not only on the field and offensively what he brings, but then Kyle's a great teammate and has a lot of great leadership qualities. It's unfortunate. He's bummed out, but also now it's just, ‘Turn the page, Kyle, and let's get healthy. Let's get yourself ready for when you do come back.’
“And [I] told him, like, ‘We'll be OK. We have a lot of good players, and we're going to be fine.’ I know he's disappointed the timing of this thing happening here at the end, he was getting back, but he'll get himself ready, and we'll welcome him with open arms when he returns.”