Miami Marlins can’t catch break, but plenty of rips, tears, and strains

If there is a team battling more injuries than the Miami Marlins, Lord help them. An exciting win over the Nationals on Tuesday was overshadowed by the multitude of injuries on the roster.

Winning a Major League Baseball game is hard. I’ve never been a part of one personally, but from what I can tell, it requires a lot of skill and effort. When you’re asked to do it with nearly a quarter of the team you started your season with on the disabled list, it’s near impossible.

That’s is the position the Miami Marlins find themselves in as we start the month of August. On Tuesday night, the team rallied from six runs down against the division leading Washington Nationals. Both teams went to their bullpens early, and the hometown fans were treated to a 7-6 victory.

All of that was underscored by the fact that the team will be without several players for the rest of the season.

Perhaps no bit of news was more devastating than that of Edinson Volquez. After throwing a no hitter earlier this season, Volquez was showing signs of returning to the form that led the Marlins to tender him a two-year contract. Knee trouble landed him on the disabled list, but that was just the start.

What are the three words you fear most? No. Free. Refills.

But if you’re a Major League pitcher or organization, it’s Tommy John surgery. Turns out, Volquez is going to need some of that.

Recovery from Tommy John surgery takes more than a year, often 12-15 months. This is the second time Volquez will undergo the operation.

The Marlins signed him to a contract that expires at the end of 2018. It appears he won’t be ready to pitch again until 2019, effectively ending his tenure with the club.

Who’s who at the clinic

The starting rotation took a big hit with word that Volquez is done for the year. But that isn’t the only bit of bad news Miami Marlins players, front office members, and fans received.

Turns out JT Riddle is done for the rest of the year with a SLAP tear, a fairly common baseball injury, but one that will require surgery. The rookie shortstop was enjoying a breakout first season, and played well enough to convince the organization that he could hold the position long-term.

He played well enough to deserve preferential treatment out of spring training, but his future is not guaranteed.

There was some optimism that Martin Prado would return to the lineup this season following his knee surgery. He wouldn’t be ready to go until mid-September. By that time, the team will have future franchise third basemen Brian Anderson plying his trade as part of September call ups.

Justin Bour will be out an estimated four-to-six weeks with a nagging oblique strain. Manager Don Mattingly says that it’ll be at least three weeks until he gets back to baseball activity. That means a mid-September return at best. It seems possible that Bour is done for the year as well.

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Add these injuries to those of Kyle Barraclough, and Nick Wittgren, and the Miami Marlins are looking awfully shorthanded. It goes without say that Wei-Yin Chen is done for the year, despite General Michael Hill suggesting the contrary.

The Miami Marlins have battled injuries all season. The starting rotation wasn’t deep to begin with, but it appears they’ve found a few pieces they can move forward with as a result.