Justin Bour should rejoin Miami Marlins lineup on Friday

The Miami Marlins are set to get their slugging first baseman back on Friday. What does that mean for the future of Tyler Moore?

Suddenly the Miami Marlins have a number of logjams at the Major League level. To this point, the impending decision with JT Riddle has gotten the most publicity. The Marlins will have to decide what to do with the rookie shortstop when Aedieny Hechavarria and Martin Prado return from the DL.

But one that is being overlooked is that of Tyler Moore at first base. Moore has been swinging a hot bat since Bour went on the disabled list. With their big, slugging first baseman set to return on Friday, they’ll need to make this decision soon.

Bour will return to his regular spot in the starting lineup. He was swinging the bat at an All-Star level before going down.

In 55 games, Bour is hitting .295, with 16 home runs and 40 RBI’s. More impressive is the spike in his on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Both are the highest they’ve been in Bour’s career. His .589 slugging percentage is 100 points higher than ever before.

At the time of his injury, Bour had hit safely in the last seven games he’d started. He was hitting .407 over that time frame with three home runs.

There are an unlimited number of ways to cut and dissect Bour’s performance. It’s dominant no matter how you slice it. But how do the Marlins work Tyler Moore into the equation?

There has been virtually no drop off with Tyler Moore taking over full-time duties at first base. Since filling in for Bour, Moore is hitting .364/.371/.758 and has hit three home runs and driven in 11 runs.

These are the kinds of numbers that justify extended playing time. But where to put him?

Playing Tyler Moore

The obvious answer is the outfield. Between giving Bour one day off a week, DH-ing Giancarlo Stanton against American League teams and the occasional day off for Marcell Ozuna, Moore is logging decent reps.

The problem is that both Ozuna and Stanton are both hitting the ball just as well as Bour is. Aside from those three spots on the field, Moore has never logged time in the Major Leagues anywhere else.

He did record two outs pitching for the Nationals in 2015.

The team will struggle to get Moore on the field without taking out an equally hot hitter. It’s a good problem to have. It seems the likeliest scenario leads to the Marlins having one of the most potent bats in the Major Leagues coming off the bench.

It’s hard to believe the Marlins are seven games under .500 right now.

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Justin Bour isn’t in any jeopardy of losing his playing time when he returns to the Miami Marlins on Friday. Assuming his rehab start goes well, he’ll slide right back into the lineup. His performance this year has warranted it.

Hopefully Tyler Moore will continue to produce off the bench the way he has in the lineup. If he can, the Marlins are one of the most solid offensive teams in the Major Leagues.