Marlins Open 2026 Without Injured Stowers, Ruiz

The Miami Marlins will open the 2026 season without two key outfielders, as All-Star Kyle Stowers and speedster Esteury Ruiz were placed on the injured list Sunday with strains sustained during spring training games on Friday.

Stowers, 28, suffered a Grade 1 right hamstring strain, the same area that had caused him a minor issue earlier in camp. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said the outfielder will miss at least three to four weeks and be reassessed after that period. Ruiz, 27, sustained a high-grade left oblique strain and faces a longer absence of six to eight weeks. Both players left their respective games in the third inning: Stowers after going 2-for-2 against the Houston Astros, and Ruiz following an awkward swing in a contest against the Washington Nationals.

The injuries represent a significant early setback for the Marlins, who finished third in the National League East last year with a 78-83 record, just four games out of the final wild-card spot. Stowers emerged as a cornerstone of that lineup during his breakout 2025 campaign, his first full season with Miami. Acquired in a prior trade, he batted .288 with 25 home runs, 73 RBIs and a .912 OPS over 117 games,...