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Numerous reports last week prepared us for wholesale changes to the Marlins active roster, but to actually see all of the transactions announced en masse on Tuesday night was still jarring.
Today’s Roster Update: pic.twitter.com/reqvTIywnD
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) August 4, 2020
The majority of players who initially traveled to Philadelphia for the opening series of the 2020 regular season are no longer with the team in Baltimore. All-Star Sandy Alcantara and clubhouse leader Miguel Rojas are among the individuals placed on the injured list after testing positive for COVID-19. These are the consequences of an outbreak that’s origin will never be fully understood but one that the Fish accept responsibility for, CEO Derek Jeter said.
Here is a look at how the 30-man group has been transformed by the infusion of trade and free agent acquisitions, waiver claims and call-ups from the alternate training site in Jupiter (crossed out = placed on IL, italicized = replacements):
Opening Day (announced Jul. 23)
Pitchers: Sandy Alcantara, Brad Boxberger, Jeff Brigham, Adam Conley, Robert Dugger, Yimi García, Elieser Hernandez, Jordan Holloway, Brandon Kintzler, Pablo López, Nick Neidert, Sterling Sharp, Caleb Smith, Ryne Stanek, Stephen Tarpley, José Ureña, Alex Vesia
Position Players: Jesús Aguilar, Jorge Alfaro, Brian Anderson, Jon Berti, Francisco Cervelli, Garrett Cooper, Isan Díaz, Corey Dickerson, Harold Ramirez, Miguel Rojas, Magneuris Sierra, Jonathan Villar, Chad Wallach
Re-opening Day (Aug. 4)
Pitchers: Richard Bleier, Brad Boxberger, Dan Castano, Jorge Guzman, Elieser Hernandez, James Hoyt, Brandon Kintzler, Pablo López, Brian Moran, Mike Morin, Justin Shafer, Sterling Sharp, Josh A. Smith, Josh D. Smith, Stephen Tarpley, Nick Vincent, Jordan Yamamoto
Position Players: Eddy Alvarez, Jesús Aguilar, Brian Anderson, Jon Berti, Lewis Brinson, Francisco Cervelli, Corey Dickerson, Logan Forsythe, Monte Harrison, Matt Joyce, Ryan Lavarnway, Magneuris Sierra, Jonathan Villar
Additionally, right-hander Humberto Mejía, catcher Brian Navarreto and switch-pitcher Pat Venditte are serving on the taxi squad.
Alleviating some of the stress from this situation, Major League Baseball has made an in-season adjustment to previously agreed-upon roster rules, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. Although active rosters will still shrink from 30 spots to 28 on Thursday as planned, the taxi squad’s capacity will now be expanding from three to five. That means the Marlins can potentially keep the same 33 players with the club for the remainder of this road trip.
Original plan was for rosters to reduce from 30 to 28 on Thursday and then to originally agreed upon 26 in another two weeks. Union telling players adjustment was made “in light of the health and safety challenges we have seen in the first couple of weeks of the season.” https://t.co/nvHFLbcUQ7
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 4, 2020
Miami’s season resumed on a reinvigorating note Tuesday with a 4-0 shutout victory over the Orioles. All of the Marlins’ offensive production came from familiar faces, but newcomers Bleier and Hoyt made immediate contributions out of the bullpen.