MIAMI – The Marlins lost shortstop Xavier Edwards to the 10-day injured list with a left mid-back strain, but second baseman Otto Lopez came off the IL and homered in Sunday afternoon’s 5-1 win over the Rays at loanDepot park.
Edwards, who was initially scratched from Friday’s lineup with back tightness, had undergone imaging to determine the severity. He performed baseball activities with the club on Saturday but did not play in the game.
“With being able to backdate it some and with an off-day coming up [on Thursday], the hope is that he just misses the minimal amount of games,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “Him being able to be out there at full capacity, and not feeling OK, kind of close, and then maybe this thing lingers and turns into something else that is more long term. Felt like, you know what, hate to not have him at all. But if the cost is six, seven games, then it feels like that's a better trade-off than it is to have him in a position where he's not fully healthy and compromised.”
In 42 games, Edwards was batting .263/.337/.292 with three doubles, one triple, 11 RBIs and 11 steals. During his current eight-game hitting streak, however, he had a slash line of .313/.389/.313. As the everyday shortstop, a position he picked back up midseason 2024, Edwards has -6 outs above average.
Until this weekend, Edwards had been out of the lineup just once this season. Including Sunday, Javier Sanoja has started all four games at shortstop in 2025 that Edwards has not.
“I think you'll see Sanoja there,” McCullough said. “I wouldn't be surprised if you see Otto over there as well. Otto is so good at second, but he's just a good infielder. Not sure the length of X – we're hoping it's on the shorter end, kind of feel that way right now. I feel like we've got a couple capable guys that can go over there and do it. So I think there's a chance that you see both of them during this time while X is getting ready to come back.”
Lopez, meanwhile, had been on the IL since May 4 (retroactive to May 3) with a Grade 2 right ankle sprain, which he sustained while stretching and running pregame on May 2. He exited that game before taking an at-bat and after one inning at second base.
His return falls in line with the projected 2-3-week recovery timeline. Lopez rejoined the ballclub on Saturday after going 1-for-4 and playing seven innings at second in his lone rehab game for Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday. Prior to that brief rehab assignment, Lopez also traveled with the team on its recent trip to Chicago, where he continued his rehab.
“It helps a lot, like seeing pitchers, seeing velo,” Lopez said pregame. “It's pretty great. So, to have the medical staff helping me out and on the road trip, and even here, it's been great the whole time.”
At the time of the IL designation, Lopez had started 29 of Miami’s 33 games, batting .229/.294/.330 with five doubles and two homers. On defense, Lopez had recorded six outs above average -- tied for the most among all Major League infielders.
On Sunday after right-hander Cal Quantrill tossed the second immaculate inning in franchise history in the fourth, Lopez drilled the go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom half of the frame. He crushed Shane Baz's hanging slider over the left-center wall for his third long ball of the season.
“It feels good,” Lopez said. “Of course, I've been out for a little bit, and I wanted to get back real quick, and what I did today, it just made me feel super good.”
It avenged Lopez’s error on a potential 6-4-3 double-play ball during the previous inning. He dropped the ball on a throw from Sanoja, which allowed a run to score and kept two baserunners.
“He came and gave us a boost today,” McCullough said. “He got a breaking ball kind of close to him and put a good swing on it. And that was a really big hit for us there, close game, get some guys on. … We know what he does defensively. He's so good out there, he has been. So I think there's still more offensively that Otto can tap into. There is some impact, and I think as Otto continues to value the at-bat and the pitch recognition, Otto's got a really high floor as a player, so to have him back is great, and then for him to come through like that even better.”