On its surface, this weekend’s series between the Miami Marlins and Cleveland Guardians features a good team versus a bad team. However, Friday appeared to be the first time Tim Anderson and José Ramírez competed against each other since last year’s infamous brawl in Cleveland.
Unfortunately, the matchup will have to wait as the Marlins placed Anderson on the bereavement list hours before first pitch. Per MLB rules, players must stay on the bereavement list for a minimum of three games and a maximum of seven games. While it’s unclear when Anderson will return, he is guaranteed to miss the entire series against Ramírez and the Guardians.
Today's roster update presented by @UMiamiHealth: pic.twitter.com/JmyXmIXvSw
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) June 7, 2024
Miami also announced that infielder Otto López will head to the paternity list. To replace Anderson and López on the active roster, the Marlins recalled infielders Tristan Gray and Xavier Edwards from Triple-A.
Miami Marlins Place Tim Anderson on Bereavement List
Friday’s news continues a steep fall for Anderson and his career. The former batting champion has struggled mightily since an All-Star 2022 campaign. Since 2023, the 30-year-old has hit .231/.270/.274 (51 OPS+) with poor quality of contact and walk rates.
Last year, Anderson was one of several factors that went wrong for a dysfunctional Chicago White Sox squad. Miami signed him late in the offseason in hopes that he could bounce back with the change of scenery.
Instead, Anderson has been one of the worst hitters in the league (.188/.221/.206 21 OPS+). Perhaps there’s more to his story/struggles than the public knows. But either way, Anderson and the Marlins will hope that spending a few days on the bereavement list will help reset his season and career.
Xavier Edwards
The Marlins acquired Edwards, the 38th overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft (by the San Diego Padres) in a November 2022 trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. The infielder has intrigued evaluators with his athleticism for many years but has yet to make an impact in the majors.
Xavier Edwards at Triple-A in 2023: .351/.429/.457, 130 wRC+, 6.9 K%
Xavier Edwards at Triple-A in 2024: .365/.411/.481, 134 wRC+, 7.0 K%…while making SS his primary position pic.twitter.com/UTVSxTN55B
— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) June 7, 2024
Well, it seems that his time has come. Edwards has crushed Tripe-A pitching since last year and has focused on improving at shortstop this season. Marlins manager Skip Schumaker recently told Fish On First that Edwards doesn’t have much to prove in the minors anymore.
So, it’s not surprising that the rebuilding Marlins promoted him with Anderson away. Edwards will likely see most, if not all, of the time at shortstop in Anderson’s absence. But, it will be interesting to see what Miami does when the veteran returns.
The organization has been aggressive in getting rid of veterans this year. Plus, the team ate one big contract earlier this week, so money surprisingly doesn’t seem to be an issue.
Despite the expected small sample, it’s possible that Edwards shows the Marlins that he’s ready to stay in the majors and produce. If so, it’s not impossible that Miami moves on from Anderson when he returns from the bereavement list and auditions Edwards at shortstop for the rest of the season.
