Isan Diaz showing progress at the plate for the Marlins

A rocky start for Marlins rookie second baseman Isan Diaz is slowly starting to come around.

With every rookie in the Majors, there are growing pains. Unless it is a rare occasion, minor league players need an adjustment period to adapt to the speed of the game, the power of the opposition and playing with veterans who have more experience and more knowledge. Miami Marlins second baseman Isan Diaz is still adjusting to life on the Major League level.

But he is getting better.

Diaz drove in two runs on two hits and looked to be improving at the plate in a 4-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. The Marlins front office waited patiently for the right time to call the 23-year-old up from Triple-A New Orleans this season. Now, they wait with a handful of games remaining on the 2019 schedule to see if one of their future building blocks will continue to progress.

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We may not know how good Diaz can be on a Major League field until 2020 when there is a larger sample size added to his resume.

“Diaz was one of the core players Miami received in the trade that sent Christian Yelich — who suffered a fractured right kneecap on a foul ball in the first inning and will be out for the rest of the season — to Milwaukee.” Joe Frisaro of MLB.com wrote early Wednesday morning.

Reporters who cover the Marlins often talked throughout the season about “when” the team would add Diaz to their 25-man roster. Now, it’s a case of “when” will he put it all together on the field? You don’t hit 26 home runs at the Triple-A level and fall over from lack of production. The former Brewer is still a work in progress.

“Isan, for me, he’s going to hit,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “As long as he continues to do the work, and continues to keep getting better and understanding what he’s trying to do, he’s going to hit. He has a good swing. I’ve said it a lot. He sees the ball good. All the elements are there for him to hit. What we’re seeing right now are pieces of it, not consistently.”

The Marlins have gone through the same experience with outfielder Lewis Brinson, who was part of the Yelich deal as well. He is still struggling with his swing and his approach at the plate. The front office is aware of the deficit Brinson presents, and one has to wonder how long before the experiment with the player from South Florida comes to an end.

There is plenty of potential, but there is no return on the investment yet.

Diaz is the opposite – the franchise hopes.

“Diaz made the leap to the big leagues after a strong season at New Orleans, where he hit .305 with 26 home runs and 70 RBIs,” Frisaro adds. “Since being called up, he’s slashing .158/.260/.237 with two home runs and 14 RBIs.”

Hopefully, it is only a matter of time before the organization and the player sees a major shift in those numbers and production.