Stowers exits finale with latest hamstring injury

Given where the Marlins stand, dropping any game this late in the season hurts.

Losing a crucial contest and your star, though? That's a gut punch.

Alas, Clayton McCullough and his club had to live out that exact nightmare scenario on Tuesday night. Minutes before their eventual 7-3 loss at the hands of the Royals, news broke that All-Star and middle of the order bat, Kyle Stowers, was removed due to left hamstring tightness.

If you're at all familiar with Stowers' injury history in 2026 especially, such a report is about as troubling as it gets. The 28-year-old missed the first 21 games of the season with a right hamstring strain before doing the same to his left in early August. While a diagnosis foretold a roughly four week absence, Stowers returned less than two weeks later. Now, it's that same left leg that seems to have reared its head again, although the true severity won't be known until sometime before first pitch on Friday. 

The inciting incident came in the top of the seventh with the Marlins trailing by just a run. On the first pitch he saw, Stowers took a 93 mph fastball from Craig Kimbrel off the foot. While trying to get out of the way, he made an awkward movement with his left leg and looked to be in visible pain while shaking it off. Stowers stayed in the game to run the bases, but exited before heading back out to the field.

The cruelest part of it all? Stowers looked especially good running the bases in the aforementioned early part of the ballgame, hustling out of the box to collect a double. Additionally, the veteran appeared to be ramping up at the plate at the perfect time, collecting four hits—including two home runs—and three RBI.

If Stowers were to see IL time, he wouldn't be eligible to return until halfway through the month, a few days after his right-side infield mate, Xavier Edwards. Seeing the hypothetical reps at first base in his absence would likely be Griffin Conine and the newly recalled Deyvison De Los Santos against southpaws.

As for the game itself, Miami wasted no time getting on the board. Three runs in four innings—including long balls from Heriberto Hernández and Agustín Ramírez—had McCullough's bunch sitting pretty against All-Star Michael Wacha.

To their dismay, the six hits they collected early would be all they could muster against a settled in Wacha and three Royal relievers the rest of the way. Five unanswered runs from the home team, spearheaded by a three-RBI night from the scorching hot Carter Jensen, were more than enough to salvage the finale.

Finishing what seemed to be a favorable road trip 3-4 and returning to three games out of the final Wild Card spot in the National League, Miami returns home for a true test as they welcome the 79-62 Cubs. Janson Junk faces off against Shota Imanaga in Friday night's opener at 7:10 pm ET.