Injury to Adeiny Hechavarria puts Miami Marlins in a bind, but options exist

When the series began, the Miami Marlins had couldn’t decide who they wanted at shortstop, now they have nobody.

One of the more encouraging developments for the Miami Marlins this season was the emergence of Miguel Rojas at shortstop. While Rojas was capable of playing every position adequately, lingering frustrations with Adeiny Hechavarria led many to wonder if he would eventually replace the slick-fielding Cuban on the field. It was one of the rare instances where the Marlins had too much depth.

Then, on May 8th, the Miami Marlins put Martin Prado on the disabled list. He was followed by Miguel Rojas, whose thumb injury is much worse than initially believed. Tonight, they were joined by Adeiny Hechavarria, who strained his oblique while running to first.

A decision on Hechavarria’s status wasn’t made immediately, and he will be undergoing further examination today.

J.T. Riddle filled in at shortstop, playing error free and picking up a sacrifice fly. Depending on the severity of Hechavarria’s injury, he might be asked to fill that role on a regular basis for a while. For Riddle, it’s something of a deja vu. He made his big league debut earlier this season in place of Hechavarria, who was again sidelined with an oblique injury.

With Prado and Rojas likely out more than a month, infield depth just became a huge concern. The options available are somewhat limited, but they exist. In the short-term, the Marlins have what they would need to plug the hole on the left side.

Options exist for Miami Marlins

Exactly what moves are made are entirely dependent on the severity of Hechavarria’s injury. Let’s hope for the best, and assume Hech will only be out a couple of games.

Option 1: The Marlins promote shortstop Ryan Jackson. Already with some MLB experience, Jackson is currently hitting .262 at the AAA level with an OBP of .380. Also, today is his birthday, it’d be a nice present for him. Acquired as a free agent this offseason, Jackson attended Florida Christian High School, and the University of Miami.

Option 2: The Marlins also have another player at AAA with significant amounts of professional experience. Steve Lombardozzi isn’t exactly tearing it up in New Orleans. He is slashing just .250/.290/.293 for the Baby Cakes, but has already logged 3+ years of MLB service time.

Option 3: This one seems unlikely, but the Marlins could choose to rush veteran Mike Aviles to the major league level. The utility man hasn’t played since the WBC this offseason, so he might be out of baseball shape, but the move wouldn’t be entirely unprecedented. This move is unlikely, but you never know, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures.

Option 4: Call this one the wildcard. The Marlins could decide to rush third-ranked prospect Brian Anderson. At 23 years old, the Fish aren’t convinced he is ready yet. He’s hitting only .244 at the AA level, but has slugged five home runs in only 119 at bats. This won’t happen, but it’s fun to talk about.

Next: Miami Marlins option Adam Conley to Triple-A New Orleans

The injury to Adeiny Hechavarria is concerning, and we will be monitoring the results of his test closely. But if worst comes to worst, there are options.