Esteury

Ruiz

Ruiz is expected to miss 6-8 weeks after being diagnosed with a left oblique strain earlier this week. The 27-year-old speedster projects as a reserve outfielder for the Marlins once he’s back up and running.

The 27-year-old speedster will open the season on the injured list and isn’t likely to be an option for the Marlins until the end of May. He suffered the injury on an awkward swing during Friday’s Grapefruit League contest. It’s a tough break, as he was trending towards cracking the team’s Opening Day roster.

Ruiz was lifted from Friday’s spring training contest with an apparent left side injury following an awkward swing. The 27-year-old speedster was in camp battling with Heriberto Hernandez for the final spot on Miami’s bench. There should be a clearer picture on his status at some point this weekend.

The 27-year-old speedster grabbed at his side after a swing in the third inning. On the same night that the Marlins had Kyle Stowers leave the game due to a hamstring issue, their outfield depth takes another hit as Ruiz makes an early exit. Look for the Marlins to provide an update on his status as soon as more information becomes available.

Ruiz is battling with Heriberto Hernandez for the final spot on Miami’s season-opening roster. The 27-year-old’s speed and ability to handle center field makes him a quality bench option but the limited role makes it nearly impossible for him to offer any sustained fantasy relevance.

Ruiz led the AL in steals with 67 for the A’s in 2023, but he’s spent most of the last two years in the minors, hitting .303/.412/.511 in Triple-A last season. He’s a career .241/.296/.343 hitter in 621 major league plate appearances, and for all his speed, he’s just not a very good outfielder. Using a bench spot on him as an occasional starter against left-handers and a pinch-runner isn’t the worst idea, but he’d have offer a lotmore utility if he were a quality defender somewhere.

Except in terms of durability, Ruiz seems like a downgrade from Dane Myers, who the Marlins just traded to the Reds. The 26-year-old Ruiz hit .303/.412/.511 in Triple-A last season, also going 4-for-21 in his brief time with the Dodgers. He has an option year left, but the Marlins probably intend to carry him as a reserve outfielder. Marrero is an 18-year-old who has yet to pitch in the U.S.

Ruiz is 2-for-26 in nine games, and he’s also been caught twice on five steal attempts. The speedster remains on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, but the team picked Justin Dean over him as a backup outfielder in the postseason and he wouldn’t seem to be prevalent in their plans for 2026. He has one option year left, so they could just stash him in Triple-A again.

The 26-year-old speedster slashed just .190/.261/.333 with one homer, two RBI and four stolen bases in 23 plate appearances over 19 games with the Dodgers. He’ll return to an everyday role at the Triple-A level until he’s needed again.

Hernández is out of the lineup for Sunday’s series finale and could wind up requiring some additional time off, even if he checks out completely fine. It’ll be speedster Estuery Ruiz patrolling right field and batting ninth on Sunday against the Astros in his absence. There should be a definitive update on the 32-year-old slugging corner outfielder’s status leading into Monday’s series opener in Milwaukee.