Marlins Rookie Anderson To Stay At Hot Corner

The Miami Marlins more than likely will keep rookie third baseman Brian Anderson at third base when veteran Martin Prado returns to the ball club.

Rookie Brian Anderson may not be the frontrunner for the National League Rookie of the Year, but he still remains a valuable contributor to the Miami Marlins and a star for the future. The third baseman turned outfielder will likely remain at the hot corner when veteran Martin Prado comes off the disabled list.

Prado has had numerous trips to the disabled list with hamstring and quad injuries the past two seasons. Anderson started Opening Day at third base with the veteran on the shelf and has been one of the team’s bright spots this season.

The Marlins also want to keep Prado in the lineup and will give him time at first base across the diamond.

As Joe Frisaro wrote in his latest piece on MLB.com, “Down the stretch, the Marlins are planning on giving their rookie standout some more stability. Even with [Martin] Prado getting closer to coming off the 10-day disabled list, the organization intends to have Anderson remain at third base.”

In his first full year in South Florida, Anderson is hitting .277 with nine home runs and 54 RBI, which is tied for second on the roster, behind J.T. Realmuto. He also has 137 hits this season, which is second on the team behind Starlin Castro.

More from Marlins News

• Why didn’t the Miami Marlins sign JDM?
• Miami Marlins rejected Boston‘s trade offer
• Miami Marlins are pursuing Michael Conforto
• Miami Marlins need to spend to win
• Miami Marlins can’t afford to botch this trade

Giving Anderson more time in the field and at the dish is something manager Don Mattingly feels is best to make sure the rookie continues his education as a Major League hitter.

“As long as Andy is healthy, I think we’re pretty flushed with outfielders right now with guys coming back,” Mattingly said. “So I want to leave Andy [at third]. We’ve kind of gotten to the point where we know he can play right field.”

The move to right field happened when Prado returned to the lineup after his first stint with an injury. He has been out of action since Aug. 13 but was part of batting practice on Thursday he was fielding ground balls.

Anderson was a third-round draft pick by the Marlins in 2014 out of Arkansas and quickly moved through the team’s minor league system, playing at both Jacksonville (Double-A) and New Orleans (Triple-A) last season.

He was part of the Sirius XM Futures Game last season during All-Star Weekend in Miami and has been a hit in the Arizona Fall League.

Anderson played both second and third base in the minors but is the team’s future at third. The idea is for Prado to rejoin the team when the Marlins expand their roster in September.