MIAMI -- Marlins All-Star outfielder Kyle Stowers returned from his rehab assignment to undergo further evaluation on Monday.
Stowers, who landed on the injured list on Aug. 17 with a left oblique strain, went hitless in three at-bats with one walk while serving as the designated hitter to begin his assignment on Friday with Triple-A Jacksonville. He was then scratched from Saturday’s game in Charlotte, N.C., with general fatigue. While he was expected to return to the Jumbo Shrimp’s lineup on Sunday, he did not.
The original plan called for Stowers to play in the outfield on Saturday, then return to Miami on Sunday if all went well. The club anticipated Stowers being reinstated early this week.
When manager Clayton McCullough addressed Stowers’ setback on Saturday night, he said the organization would take things day by day and wouldn’t rush him back.
“His right side didn't feel great [on Sunday], and so he came back here and we got him some imaging today,” McCullough followed up with on Monday afternoon. “At least at this moment, right now, I'm not sure what came from that imaging, but I think we want to be on the cautious side with Kyle and just get everything looked at before we make a plan for what's next.”
At the time of his injury, the 27-year-old Stowers was slashing .288/.368/.544 with a 149 OPS+, 21 doubles, three triples, 25 homers and 73 RBIs in 117 games. After winning the National League’s Player of the Month for July, he remains among the NL’s leaders in offensive categories like OPS (.912, fourth), slugging (fourth), homers (tied for 15th) and average (sixth).
Entering Monday’s series opener with the Nationals at loanDepot park, the Marlins had 19 games remaining in the season. Barring setbacks, Miami is expected to see the return of third baseman Connor Norby (left quad strain), infielder Graham Pauley (right oblique strain) and outfielder Griffin Conine (left shoulder surgery) when next week’s road trip opens in Colorado.