The Miami Marlins shuffled their roster before Sunday’s matchup with the visiting San Francisco Giants, sending catcher Liam Hicks to the 10-day injured list and cutting ties with infielder Christopher Morel through a designation for assignment.
To replace the departing players, Miami brought outfielder Griffin Conine back from the 60-day injured list after recovering from a hamstring injury, and summoned catcher Brian Navarreto from their Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville.
Hicks’ placement on the injured list, stemming from a lower back strain, was made retroactive to Saturday. He had already been pulled from the lineup the night before due to the injury, with the official IL move finalized just before Sunday’s first pitch.
The loss of Hicks is a significant blow to Miami’s offense. The catcher leads the team with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs while batting .278 across 73 games this season. His strong production had even earned him playing time at first base and as a designated hitter when he wasn’t catching.
Morel, 26, joined the Marlins during the offseason but never found his footing in Miami. In 22 games, he batted just .162 without hitting a single home run, striking out 28 times in 68 at-bats.
Manager Clayton McCullough offered kind words for the departing player. “Chris is a real pro,” McCullough said. “He handled himself well through the difficult tenure here and (we) wish him the best.”
Conine, 28, had shown promise earlier this year, hitting .273 with two home runs and four RBIs in 11 games before tearing his left hamstring and landing on the injured list.
Navarreto, 31, brings extensive minor league experience to the roster, having spent 13 seasons in the minors. He appeared in two games for Miami back in 2020 and had a brief return with the club last season, going 4-for-14 with one homer, two doubles, and five RBIs in eight games. This season with Jacksonville, he was batting .211 with one home run and nine RBIs in 23 games before the call-up.
The Marlins also moved right-handed pitcher Josh Ekness to the 60-day injured list due to a right calf strain, a move that freed up a spot on the team’s 40-man roster.
