MIAMI -- The excitement was overwhelming when Marlins No. 25 prospect Maximo Acosta called his family with the good news that he was being promoted to the Majors.
Such a joyous moment also held a bittersweet sentiment. Acosta’s father, also named Maximo, passed away a couple months ago. It had always been Maximo Sr.’s dream for his son to receive this opportunity.
“The most beautiful part is that he taught me everything about this game, and not just for the money -- it's just mostly for the love of the game,” Acosta said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “He taught me how to love this game, which is the most important part of when you play this game. You've got to play with the heart. I'm very excited for the fact that I'm achieving this, and wherever he's at, I know he's very proud of me, and I'm making my MLB debut now.”
Miami recalled Acosta from Triple-A Jacksonville as the corresponding roster move after placing infielder Graham Pauley on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Sunday) with a Grade 1 right oblique strain. Acosta started at second base and hit eighth in his Major League debut on Monday night against the Cardinals at loanDepot park.
The 22-year-old Venezuelan, who came over to the Marlins’ organization in the Jake Burger trade last December, has spent all of 2025 with Jacksonville, where he has slashed .232/.319/.376 with 13 doubles, three triples, 12 homers, 49 RBIs and 28 steals in 106 games. Acosta has appeared at both shortstop (101 games) and second base (five) this season.
“Getting to see Max in Spring Training, he really shined on the defensive side,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “He came into it with a history of strong plate discipline in the Minor Leagues, and [we] felt like he would continue to grow into some power, whether that be doubles and the occasional home run. He'd shown that some in Triple-A, so [I’m] excited for Max.”
Pauley, meanwhile, is the second Marlin in as many days to land on the IL with an oblique strain. He joins All-Star outfielder Kyle Stowers (Grade 1 left oblique strain). Pauley, who was unavailable in Sunday’s comeback victory against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, felt tightness in his right side throughout Saturday’s game and later underwent testing.
With Connor Norby sidelined due to hamate bone surgery, Pauley had been starting in his place on a daily basis and making the most of the opportunity.
Since July 13, when the 24-year-old rookie began his second stint with the big league club, Pauley has slashed .254/.371/.492 with two doubles, four homers and six RBIs in 26 games. At third base, Pauley entered Monday with six outs above average (tied for third most in the Majors at the position, minimum 350 innings) and three defensive runs saved.
“I truly hate this kind of stuff,” said Pauley, whose recovery timeline is around four weeks. “Like I said, I've never been on the IL. I've played through a lot of stuff. I pride myself on that. It sucks, but something I've got to deal with, and I'll get through it.”
The only player on the Marlins’ active roster who has started at third base this season is rookie Javier Sanoja, who has done so 14 times. Eric Wagaman has appeared at the position twice in 2025 over the span of three frames, but he made 17 starts there for the Angels in ’24.
McCullough said Sanoja and Acosta will see action at third base for the time being. Norby should enter the mix soon, as he is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Jacksonville on Wednesday. Acosta started on Monday to give Xavier Edwards a breather after an 11-game road trip; he also could also spell shortstop Otto Lopez if need be.
“He was really playing at a high level on both sides of the ball, so a blow for our team, because Graham was a big part,” McCullough said. “But also for Graham, he was playing as well as he had at any point in his young Major League career. For that to kind of, right now, get stopped for a while because of this … when he comes back, there'll be a different level of confidence he has to draw from knowing that he has proven to himself what we all thought -- that there was a really good player in there -- and we just want him to get healthy right now.”