Kevin Barral

MIAMI, FL—Prior to Wednesday's series finale against the San Diego Padres, Fish On First spoke to Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine, who suffered a dislocated left shoulder on April 20 against the Philadelphia Phillies, underwent surgery and will miss the remainder of the season. He slashed .281/.352/.438/.790 with one home run, seven RBI and a 121 wRC+ in 20 games played. "Think the way that I went to slide was a bit unorthodox," Conine told Fish On First reflecting on the unusual injury. "I hit the ball in the gap, thought for it was for sure a double and then (Johan) Rojas cut it off and made a good play, got into the cut really quick. I was running first with my head down, seeing the bag hit, and then when I looked up, I was surprised to see (Bryson) Stott almost had the ball, so I hit the ground hard because I was thinking about it. It felt like a normal slide, but at the same time, the way that I went down was a lot more sudden than usual if you're sliding head first. You'll gradually get low and I think I went from straight up to just slamming the ground pretty hard. That just caused whatever to happen to the dislocation." Conine says he is "in a good spot" nearly three months removed from surgery. He began a throwing program on Tuesday, playing catch from 60 feet. That distance will increase by 15 feet every other day. He will be back to doing long toss at some point in August. Conine has also begun some "swing stuff" with his right arm. Three to four weeks from now, he expects to be cleared for full swings. "Doctor (Neal) ElAttrache is really happy with where we're at and how it's progressed." Assuming no setbacks, Conine should be healthy in time to participate in either the Arizona Fall League or an international winter league. From there, he'll be a full participant in Marlins spring training and look to earn an Opening Day roster spot for a second straight season.

MIAMI, FL—One inning changed the course of the series opener between the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres. In the top of the second inning, Eury Pérez would surrender two runs, and that proved to be enough for the Padres in their 2-1 win. Pérez pitched around a Luis Arraez single in the top of the first to keep San Diego off the scoreboard, but things got messier in the next inning. He surrendered a leadoff double to Xander Bogaerts, threw a wild pitch, allowing Bogaerts to advance to third and that's when Jackson Merrill drove in the game's first run on an RBI single. Pérez struck out Jake Cronenworth and Jose Iglesias lined out to Xavier Edwards. Throughout this season, retiring the opposing team's ninth hitter has been an issue for the Marlins. Veteran catcher Martín Maldonado continued the trend, smacking a 106.3 mph RBI double down the left field line, driving in Merrill and making it a 2-0 game. Pérez walked Fernando Tatis Jr. and that's when pitching coach Daniel Moskos made a mound visit to stop the bleeding. "Agustín (Ramírez) and I had a small conversation given we weren't in agreement on a couple things," said Pérez in Spanish after the game. "Made a couple adjustments to make sure we can keep going competing. We also made some adjustments when it came to which pitches I wanted to throw to him." Early on in his start, Pérez was heavily reliant on his fastball-heavy. Overall, his fastball generated five whiffs and he used it on four of his five strikeout pitches. However, it was being hit harder than usual with an average exit velocity of 97.6 mph. His slider (used 17% of the time) and sweeper (13%) were leading to more soft contact. The 22-year-old's control was not as sharp as it had been prior to the All-Star break. He posted a season-low 36.4% first-pitch strike rate. Pérez went on to give his team five innings of work, allowing five hits, two walks and striking out five. Outside of his second inning, he had a solid outing against a good Padres lineup. "I thought he really made some nice adjustments the last few innings," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. "Had a good heater again. Really happy with some of the breaking balls and secondary stuff he threw tonight. He had some some sweepers in there and he threw some good, hard sliders. I thought his ability to utilize his entire repertoire tonight—and especially as the outing wore on—is a great sign." The Marlins' lone run of the ballgame came courtesy of the red-hot Kyle Stowers, who hit his 22nd home run of the season off of Padres starter Randy Vásquez. The ball left his bat at 103.2 mph and went 400 feet towards AutoNation Alley in left-center field. It was his sixth homer over the last five games. After that, the Marlins did out-hit the Padres, but had no runs to show for it, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. A lot of credit needs to go to the Marlins bullpen, which kept the Padres hitless through four innings. Josh Simpson, who last threw on July 13 against the Orioles, gave the Marlins two innings of work, striking out three. Tyler Phillips went the final two innings of work, striking out one. Phillips' ERA is now down to 3.47 on the season. With the loss, the Marlins are now 46-53 on the season, 8.5 games back of a National League Wild Card spot. Edward Cabrera will start against the Padres on Tuesday. He left his previous start with posterior elbow discomfort and underwent an MRI, which came back negative. With the trade deadline approaching next week, this could potentially be his final home start as a member of the Marlins. First pitch is at 6:40 pm.

MIAMI, FL—On Sunday, the Marlins drew a crowd of 18,219 for their series finale against the Kansas City Royals. That capped off the second-best-attended weekend at loanDepot park this season, totaling 46,953 across the three games. Even with a loss on Sunday, the Marlins have been among MLB's hottest teams in recent weeks. Their 46-52 record is good for third in the National League East and 12 games ahead of where they were at the same point in 2024, surpassing all expectations. It's a fun brand of baseball that is beginning to produce real results and grab the community's attention. "It means a lot to me and our group that more people continue to come out and watch," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough following the game. "This is an exciting group. These guys love to play. They love to compete. They're going to continue to fight the whole way through...It was great to get that support here this weekend and the energy we felt in the building. We hope that continues on for us in the second half." Properly marketing the team matters as well. On Friday, the Marlins held their first-ever dollar dog night, which sold a total of 20,128 hot dogs. The Marlins defeated the Royals by a final score of 8-7 thanks to a walk-off two-run homer from All-Star Kyle Stowers. That was followed by the annual Colombian heritage celebration on Saturday, drawing 14,292 fans and ending in another win. Sunday's "Selfie Day" was an opportunity for Marlins Members to meet and take photos with their favorite players and media personalities. Per a team source, this event saw the largest turnout in franchise history since the event began back in 2019. "We’re deeply grateful for the passion our community brings, both in the stands and beyond," said Marlins president of business operations Caroline O'Connor. "I want to thank our players and coaches for taking pride in making this day meaningful for everyone involved. It’s moments like these that highlight the perks of a Marlins season ticket membership and also remind us that we’re part of something bigger than the game." Along with the increased in-person attendance, more fans are watching from afar on FanDuel Sports Network. According to a recent press release sent by the network, the average streaming audience for Marlins games is up 14% compared to the same period last season. It's safe to say that Marlins fans are starting to put their faith in president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. Some of the young talent acquired by Bendix since his hiring in November 2023 is already contributing at the highest level, with more on the way. Kyle Stowers is in the midst of one of the best seasons that a Marlins left-handed hitter has ever had. He was acquired last season alongside Connor Norby from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Trevor Rogers. Agustín Ramírez has become one of the favorites to win National League Rookie of the Year. It was controversial when the Marlins traded Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the New York Yankees to get Ramírez, but that's clearly looking like a win-win deal. Miami's starting shortstop, Otto Lopez, and top reliever, Ronny Henriquez, were both former waiver claims. They're emerging as crucial pieces for 2026 and beyond. Winning will bring the fans out and giving them a good experience at the ballpark will convince them to keep coming back. Next up, the Marlins welcome the San Diego Padres for a three-game set, beginning Monday at 6:40 pm. Young phenom Eury Pérez will start for the Fish.

MIAMI, FL—In what may have been his final home start as a member of the Miami Marlins, Cal Quantrill turned in six shutout innings. Thanks to late-game heroics from Otto Lopez, the Marlins defeated the Royals by a final score of 3-1. The Marlins have kept Quantrill on a short leash all season. He entered Saturday averaging only 4.54 innings pitched per start, never completing a full six innings. In his final outing prior to the All-Star break, he was given the opportunity to reach that milestone, but wasn't able to record an out in the sixth on the way to a 7-2 loss. Quantrill made it look easy against Kansas City, only allowing two hits in the process, issuing no walks and striking out three. He generated a 62.5% ground ball rate, which matched a season-high. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough praised "the efficiency at which he was able to do it." "Collected a lot of early outs and really for the most part, he kept them off the barrel," added McCullough. "First couple innings, defense made some very nice plays behind Cal, kind of got wind at his sails and never really was threatened, or there wasn't a whole lot of really traffic, and he kept filling it up. It was a really great outing." A big reason for Quantrill's efficiency on Saturday was his 63.2% first-pitch strike rate. "I think for most guys, that's a good sign," Quantrill said. "You'd like to have a little more swing-and-miss if you can get it, but today was one of those days where they weren't going to let very many strikes go without swinging and that's fine—you can pitch to that. I was really happy with the game plan. I thought we executed at a high rate. Ground ball outs are generally pretty safe." The 30-year-old Quantrill is the only pending free agent on the Marlins roster. He isn't scheduled to make another home start until after the MLB trade deadline passes on July 31. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported earlier this week that the team is "very open" to moving him to a contender. For the second time this series, the Marlins were on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Xavier Edwards led the inning off with his second triple of the season. After Jesús Sánchez popped out, Otto Lopez grounded out to third, but it was enough to drive Edwards in, giving the Fish a 1-0 lead. With a 1-0 lead in the top of the eighth inning, Ronny Henriquez surrendered a game-tying solo homer to longtime Royals catcher Salvador Pérez. The Marlins bullpen has blew a one-run lead on Friday. In the bottom of the inning, Graham Pauley led off with a walk, followed by an Edwards double, moving Pauley to third. Once the Royals intentionally walked Sánchez, Otto Lopez smacked a 108.2 mph double off the left field wall, driving in both Pauley and Edwards, giving the Marlins a 3-1 lead. "It starts a lot with his improved plate discipline," said McCullough. "The ability to check off on some of those sliders, check off on some of the chase pitches. He got a ball elevated there, put a great swing on it. We think Otto has been in a really good place now for a while. It goes back to he's got always had high contact ability. He's showing some more ability to impact. It's the key for the run of success he's been on." With the win, the Marlins are now 46-51 on the season. They've won back-to-back series and six of their last eight. The Fish aim for a series sweep on Sunday with Janson Junk taking the mound. For the Royals, it'll be Kris Bubic. First pitch is at 1:40 pm.

MIAMI, FL—At one point, Friday's series opener against the Kansas City Royals was shaping up to be among the most painful Miami Marlins losses of the season. Starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara let most of his 5-0 lead slip away, Calvin Faucher blew a save opportunity in the ninth inning, and the Royals pulled ahead in extras. Kyle Stowers bailed them out. Fresh off his first career All-Star selection, Stowers continues to be the hottest hitter in baseball, launching a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th to win it by a final score of 8-7. "It's a lot of fun watching Kyle," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. "Keep saying that Kyle is an easy guy to root for because of how he goes about everything and how humble he is. Everything has been coming his way through a lot of hard work and very happy for him." This marked his second walk-off home run of the season and his third walk-off hit overall in 2025. It was also his 21st home run of the season. Stowers became one of two players since 1901 to have recorded at least eight hits, five home runs, and 11 RBI in a two-game span. The other? Hall of Famer Ty Cobb. "I just love winning, man," Stowers said. "I think all these guys do and anytime we can win, however we can get it, I'm happy. That's what we want to bring here to Miami. We all want to be a part of the winning culture and hopefully, eventually, get in the playoffs. Absolutely just dream one day about winning the World Series. It just starts with one day at a time and stacking as many wins as we can." The Marlins offense got off to a fast start. In the bottom of the first inning, both Jesús Sánchez and Stowers took Royals right-hander Seth Lugo deep. For Sánchez, it was his eighth home run of the season, while for Stowers, it was his 20th. Stowers became the first Marlins left-handed hitter since Justin Bour to hit 20 homers in a season. In the bottom of the third, Otto Lopez drove Xavier Edwards in on an RBI double, while Stowers drove Lopez in on a bloop RBI single. The Marlins at that point had a commanding 5-0 lead. After a clean three innings of work, Alcantara allowed back-to-back base hits in the fourth, then struck out former Florida Gator Jac Caglianone. The bottom of the order got to him. There was an RBI infield single by Nick Loftin and John Rave hit his first career home run, a three-run shot, making it a 5-4 game. Alcantara went six innings of work, allowing four runs off of eight hits, two walks and two strikeouts. He generated a 54.5% ground ball rate, which is what he was averaging prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery. Throughout the night, the Royals kept making hard contact, specifically off his four-seam fastball (which was his most-used pitch), averaging an exit velocity of 95.3 mph against it. Alcantara felt that it was his mistake to Rave that really altered the results of his outing. Outside of his four-seamer, his secondary stuff was hit for plenty of soft contact. The slider had an average exit velo of 82.8 mph and the changeup, 73.5 mph. "I think I was doing great," said Alcantara. "Just take one pitch out of there and everything feels way better, but a lot of soft contact and I can't control that. I just got to go out there, do my job, do my best and help the team anyway I can." During the All-Star break, the struggling veteran took a trip to Puerto Rico. "Try to forget about what happened in the first half and just come back here stronger, positive and keep doing the same out there: competing. Doesn't matter what happens." Alcantara's next start is expected to be on Wednesday at home against the San Diego Padres. With the trade deadline less than 13 days away, it could potentially be his final game at loanDepot park in a Marlins uniform. With the win, the Fish have now walked if off seven times in 2025. They have a 45-51 record, 7.5 games back of a National League Wild Card spot. Cal Quantrill will toe the rubber Saturday against Michael Wacha at 4:10 pm. Marlins first-round pick Aiva Arquette will be introduced as well.

A bunch of Miami Marlins players have defied expectations this season. Kevin Barral, Isaac Azout and Ely Sussman make their picks for the team's current MVP, Cy Young, "Best Rookie" and "Best Newcomer." Also, they look ahead to the most likely scenarios for the upcoming MLB Draft. Find Fish Unfiltered on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Swimming Upstream, Big Fish Small Pod and more. Kevin's midseason award winners: Kyle Stowers (MVP), Edward Cabrera (Cy Young), Janson Junk (Best Newcomer) and Agustín Ramírez (Best Rookie). Isaac's midseason award winners: Otto Lopez (MVP), Ronny Henriquez (Cy Young), Heriberto Hernandez (Best Newcomer) and Agustín Ramírez (Best Rookie). Ely's midseason award winners: Kyle Stowers (MVP), Edward Cabrera (Cy Young), Ronny Henriquez (Best Newcomer) and Agustín Ramírez (Best Rookie). Follow Kevin (⁠@kevin_barral⁠), Isaac (@IsaacAzout), Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (⁠@FishOnFirst⁠) on Twitter. Join the ⁠Marlins Discord server⁠! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at ⁠FishOnFirst.com⁠.

The Miami Marlins dropped their third straight game by a final score of 5-2 against the Baltimore Orioles. To make matters worse, their most consistent starting pitcher and biggest potential trade chip, Edward Cabrera, came out of the game due to posterior elbow discomfort. He was limited to only four innings of work. "We're optimistic it's nothing serious," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said postgame. "We'll get more clarity, more information in the coming days...It started to pop up during that fourth inning and then as we talked through things in the dugout, we made the decision to cut it short there." Cabrera described it as a feeling of "fatigue," but shared McCullough's optimism about hopefully avoiding a major injury. Prior to Friday's start, Cabrera had completed seven innings in back-to-back outings. Even without the health scare, he wouldn't have been effective enough on Friday to last that long against the Orioles. In the bottom of the first, third baseman Jordan Westburg knocked in an RBI single, driving in former number one overall pick Jackson Holliday, giving the O's a 1-0 lead. Ryan O'Hearn, one of the hottest names to potentially be moved at the deadline, drove in the second run of the ballgame on an RBI double. O'Hearn tacked on another run in his next plate appearance with an RBI single. Former future Marlin Ramon Laureano then drove Gunnar Henderson in on an RBI double, giving Baltimore a 4-0 lead through three innings. On the plus side, Cabrera did generate 15 total whiffs, including eight with the curveball, his most-used pitch of the night (32%). His fastball averaged 97.7 mph, topping out at 99.4 mph. For the second time in his career (2022 was the first), Cabrera has not surrendered a walk in back-to-back starts. He struck out three straight batters before exiting. "He's been terrific," said McCullough. "He's shown the ability to miss bats. He's shown the ability to consistently get the ball in the strike zone, using his weapons very effectively. He's had an outstanding half and I expect he'll come out in the second half and continue to pitch well for us." With the Major League Baseball trade deadline 20 days away, Cabrera's availability is now up in the air. If he lands on the injured list, even for a minimum-length stint of 15 days, that would leave time for only one more start to show other teams that he's okay. Cabrera has made many trips to the IL during his career, but the most recent elbow-related injury was tendonitis back in 2022. The Marlins are not under pressure to make a trade because Cabrera is club-controlled through the 2028 season. On the other hand, his market value may never get higher. Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer completed seven shutout innings, only allowing three hits and one walk. He also struck out seven. It wasn't until the top of the ninth inning that the Marlins got on the board when Otto Lopez hit a two-run shot off of reliever Andrew Kittredge. With the loss, the Marlins are now 42-51 on the season while the Orioles improve to 43-50. First pitch on Saturday will be at 4:10 pm with Janson Junk taking the mound. For the first time since being traded to the O's, Trevor Rogers will face his former team.

Veteran catcher Nick Fortes is far from the biggest name on the Miami Marlins roster, yet he's been at the center of an ongoing debate over the past few weeks. Should one of the organization's longest-tenured players be moved at the upcoming MLB trade deadline so that Miami's younger options can fully take over at the position? Through 50 games this season, Fortes is slashing .252/.300/.360/.660 with two home runs and 10 RBI. He's been a reliable contact hitter as a Marlin and that has continued in 2025 with a 13.9% strikeout rate. More importantly, Fortes is a well-rounded defender. He ranks in the 89th percentile among MLB catchers in blocks above average, 73rd percentile in framing and 73rd percentile in pop time. He is under club control through 2028. However, in those 50 games, Fortes has only 122 plate appearances. He is on pace for less playing time than he's had in any previous full season in the majors. That's because the Marlins have carried three catchers on their roster since Fortes returned from the injured list on May 4. Agustín Ramírez has started more than twice as many games as Fortes during that span (56 to 26). Liam Hicks continues to earn opportunities with his bat as well, part of the reason why Fortes has played only one complete game from start to finish so far in July. The top position player prospect in the Marlins farm system, Joe Mack, is a catcher, too. Mack is already a league-average hitter against Triple-A competition as a 22-year-old and his defensive skill set earned him a 2024 Minor League Gold Glove. Even if Ramírez stops catching completely to become a designated hitter and first baseman, there isn't a clear fit for Fortes moving forward. He would be more useful to other teams. It needs to be noted that midseason trades involving catchers aren't too common. This is because they are responsible for learning the strengths, weaknesses and tendencies of everybody on the pitching staff, and it takes time for those relationships to develop. The transition is much easier to make during the offseason. The Tampa Bay Rays addressed their catching weakness two full months before the deadline, acquiring Matt Thaiss from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for prospect Dru Baker. Thaiss has had a similar career to Fortes—a little bit older, but more consistent as a hitter from year to year. Prior to the trade, he was slashing .212/.382/.294/.676 with one home run, eight RBI and a 104 wRC+. Through 18 games with the Rays, Thaiss has posted a 81 wRC+, but aside from his four blocks above average, he's been underwhelming defensively. In smaller, more recent transactions, the Cincinnati Reds traded Austin Wynns to the Athletics for cash considerations and the Baltimore Orioles acquired former Marlins backstop Alex Jackson from the New York Yankees for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Fortes clearly has more value than either of them. Among contending teams, the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres could definitely use Fortes' services. The Giants currently find themselves dead last in OPS and second to last in wRC+ at the catching position. As good as Patrick Bailey is defensively, he has been a clear liability in the lineup, slashing .193/.258/.292/.551 with two home runs, 26 RBI and a 56 wRC+. Bailey's offensive-minded backup was supposed to be Tom Murphy, but he's been sidelined all season due to a back injury. On top of forming the best defensive catching tandem in baseball, Fortes would actually help the Giants with his bat. The Padres split their catching duties between Martín Maldonado and Elias Díaz, who have both been awful statistically. That being said, their influence on one of the league's most successful pitching staffs cannot be ignored. With Díaz and Maldonado being deep into their 30s, maybe the Padres would be interested in Fortes regardless as protection in case of an injury down the stretch. Keep in mind that Fortes still has minor league options remaining—he does not need to be forced onto the active roster right away. As we have seen, A.J. Preller doesn't hesitate to trade prospects in an effort to make his big league team slightly better.