:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12445141/20130320_jla_su8_239.0.jpg)
Just as Giancarlo Stanton was appearing to heat up for the Miami Marlins, his season and the Fish's suffers another setback.
Giancarlo Stanton was injured in the Marlins' 4-3 win over the New York Mets. On a routine ground ball to the pitcher, Stanton ran hard up the first base line and immediately grabbed the back of his thigh as he landed on the bag. He then went down and was helped off the field with what was suspected to be a hamstring injury. You can watch the play here.
After the game, the Marlins placed Stanton on the disabled list with a hamstring injury as suspected. They also moved first baseman Joe Mahoney, who just returned from the DL with an intercostal strain, back to the DL with a sore hamstring as well.
RT @marlinsmedia: #Marlins moves: Stanton & Mahoney to DL; Marcel Ozuna & Brad Hand to be recalled
— Juan C. Rodriguez (@JCRMarlinsbeat) April 30, 2013
This is another setback to a terrible start to 2013 for Stanton and the Marlins. For Stanton, this injury comes at a highly inopportune time, since he was just beginning to recover his hitting stroke after the three-homer weekend. Now he has to sit out another 15 days after he missed a week on the bench with a sore left shoulder.
For the Marlins, this once again deprives the team of their best hitter and player for an extended period of time. With the offense already starving for help, the Fish are going to struggle even more to score runs without Stanton's presence.
To compensate for the loss of an outfielder, the Marlins will bring up Double-A prospect Marcell Ozuna to the majors. Ozuna was ranked fifth on Fish Stripes's top 20 prospects, but he was widely considered too raw to be ready to play in the majors. He does possess power, as that is his primary tool at the plate. Ozuna is hitting .316/,372/.816 (.507 wOBA) in Double-A Jacksonville.
The Marlins bring up Brad Hand to help out after the 15-inning affair taxed the bullpen. Hand, who has a 2.45 ERA and 3.25 FIP in Triple-A New Orleans, should take on multiple innings in one of the next two days.