Marlins designate Christopher Morel for assignment

[Kevin Barral]

MIAMI, FL—Sources tell Fish On First that the Miami Marlins are designating Christopher Morel for assignment in advance of Sunday's game. Morel's departure opens a spot on the roster for Griffin Conine to make his return from a left hamstring tear.

Morel, who the Marlins signed to a one-year deal worth $2M, suffered an oblique strain in the hours leading up to Opening Day, delaying his regular season debut until April 28. Once reinstated from the injured list, he slashed .162/.219/.206/.425 with one RBI in 22 games. His 18 wRC+ was the fourth-lowest among all MLB hitters with a minimum of 70 plate appearances this season.

Speaking about Morel on June 10, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough acknowledged that" it's been a bit of a struggle to this point...Chris is a real pro. He's continued to work and trying to problem solve and get himself going."

However, Morel never played another game for the Marlins after that day despite remaining on the active roster and the club matching up with multiple left-handed starting pitchers.

In 2023 with the Chicago Cubs, Morel clubbed 26 home runs and posted a 120 wRC+. He slugged below .400 in each of the next two seasons, though, and the Marlins bought low on Morel after he had been non-tendered by the Tampa Bay Rays. Along with hoping to find a bounce-back candidate offensively—the Marlins moved him to first base, a position he had never played in his professional career—trying to see if maybe a less stressful position would benefit him. Very early on in spring training, he actually looked fine at the position, but as the sample size grew, he struggled with both the physical elements and intangibles. Used exclusively at first base during his Marlins tenure, he finished with a minus-two Outs Above Average, but plus-one Defensive Runs Saved.

Morel will now go through waivers. The Marlins are on the hook for the remainder of his $2M salary unless another team surprisingly claims him. In all likelihood, he will clear waivers, get released by the team and enter free agency.

Conine was off to a great start this season, slashing .273/.360/.591/.951 through 11 games, before suffering a hamstring injury on April 9 while making a play in left field. He underwent surgery a few days later. He played three rehab games with Triple-A Jacksonville earlier this week. In total, he was sidelined for 64 Marlins games—they went 31-33 without him.

Expect Conine to rotate between the corner outfield spots, first base and designated hitter.

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