Justin Bour hopes to return this week

To say the Miami Marlins miss Justin Bour at first base would be an understatement. The trio of Chris Johnson, Don Kelly (who is hitting .045/.083/.045 with a superstar .065 wOBA), and Miguel Rojas has failed to produce at an acceptable level throughout the month of July. It is still unclear about when exactly Bour will return, but recent updates from the Marlins points to sooner rather than later.

Bour suffered a high ankle sprain on July 2nd in a game against Atlanta after stepping awkwardly on first base, and was placed on the disabled list on July 6th. High ankle sprains occur when the ligaments just above the ankle are damaged. These sprains typically take longer to heal than a regular ankle sprain and can leave lingering pain well past the date of injury. However, on Friday, Marlins’ reporter Joe Frisaro sent out this promising tweet showing Bour working out at Marlins Park:

working back from ankle sprain #Marlins Justin Bour pic.twitter.com/jTJ7UyABvE

— Joe Frisaro (@JoeFrisaro) July 22, 2016

Furthermore, in an interview with the Miami Herald Friday, Bour indicated he is almost ready to return:

"Hitting, I’m 100 percent; no problems there. It’s just a matter of getting me where I need to be on defense and running... I did therapy here every day during the All-Star break, and I’m ahead of schedule. I see myself playing before the end of the homestand."

The end of the homestand is this Sunday. Manager Don Mattingly essentially confirmed Bour’s assessment of his potential return date:

I'm not the doctor and I don't set that plan, but I think early next week is something that's conceivable at this point.

Getting Bour out on a rehab assignment this week with a potential return to the major league roster in the near future would be a huge boost for the Marlins, who are currently in the thick of the playoff race.