Owen Caissie MLB News & Injury Updates

Caissie was initially diagnosed with hamstring tightness after being removed from Saturday's game against the Dodgers. However, further tests have revealed a lower-back injury for the 24-year-old outfielder, and he won't be eligible to return until the last week of the regular season. Xavier Edwards (thumb) was reinstated from the 10-day IL in a corresponding move, and Esteury Ruiz figures to see more playing time in the outfield for as long as Caissie is sidelined.

Caissie walked and scored in the bottom of the second inning, but Esteury Ruiz hit for Caissie the following frame. He dealt with a right calf injury earlier in the season. Caissie is slashing .220/.288/.412 with 14 home runs, 58 RBI, 45 runs scored and a 27:126 BB:K across 330 plate appearances in his first season with the Marlins.

It's the third straight absence for Caissie as he battles neck spasms, though he may have been on the bench Friday regardless of the injury since he doesn't consistently start against left-handed pitching. Griffin Conine will shift to right field while Agustin Ramirez bats fifth as the designated hitter versus Chicago southpaw Shota Imanaga.

Caissie has posted just a .492 OPS in 62 plate appearances since returning from the injured list at the start of August, and he'll now move to the bench for the fourth time in five days. Heriberto Hernandez, Jakob Marsee and Griffin Conine will form Miami's outfield trio while Caissie sits.

The 24-year-old outfielder hasn't suited up for the Marlins since July 8 due to a calf strain, but he made an immediate impact on his rehab assignment after being cleared for game action. Caissie was the DH on Tuesday, but per Perla Paredes of MLB.com, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough indicated he would play defense Wednesday, and he could be activated from the IL as soon as this weekend.

Caissie is scheduled to play three games with Jacksonville before being re-evaluated, so he would appear to have a shot at returning from the 10-day injured list as soon as this weekend. Before being deactivated July 9 due to a right calf strain, Caissie had cobbled together a .239/.297/.459 slash line with 12 home runs, four stolen bases, 50 RBI and 30 runs over 80 games with Miami.

Barral previously reported Wednesday that Caissie was running at about 85 percent intensity and increasing his defensive and plyometric work, and the young outfielder's ability to face live pitching Monday seemingly represents another step in the right direction. Caissie has been on the shelf since July 9 due to a right calf strain but could soon be ready to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment.

Caissie has also been running "up to 85 percent" and continues to progress in his recovery from a mild right calf strain that landed him on the injured list July 9. The initial recovery timeline was 2-to-4 weeks, so the 24-year-old outfielder could be back with the Marlins by late July or early August, depending on when/if he goes on a rehab assignment.

Caissie landed on the injured list Thursday after making an early exit from Wednesday's game, and although the severity of his strain is mild, he'll still have to spend more than the 10-day minimum on the IL and aim to rejoin the Marlins at some point in late July or early August. In the meantime, Rece Hinds, Heriberto Hernandez and Esteury Ruiz will be in the mix for starts in the outfield.

Caissie suffered the injury during Wednesday's contest against the Mariners. It's unclear what the severity of the strain is, but even a mild calf strain could result in longer than a minimum absence for Caissie. Rece Hinds is grabbing Caissie's roster spot, and he will be in the mix for starts in the outfield along with Heriberto Hernandez and Esteury Ruiz while Caissie is out.

Caissie opened Tuesday's scoring with a 418-foot solo home run to right-center field off Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo. It was the 12th home run of the season for Caissie, who has gone deep in three of his last six games. He has a .239 batting average over 246 plate appearances this season, but Caissie has been better at the plate as of late, going 12-for-38 (.316) with one steal, four homers and 11 RBI over his last 15 games.

Manager Clayton McCullough said after Sunday's win over the Nationals that Caissie was likely to be available for Tuesday's series opener, but the outfielder will instead sit out a second consecutive game. The 23-year-old is dealing with left triceps discomfort and should continue to be considered day-to-day.

Caissie was scratched from the starting nine ahead of Sunday's contest due to left triceps discomfort, but his removal from the lineup appears to have been mostly as a matter of precaution. Miami added Heriberto Hernandez to the starting nine in Caissie's stead, and he went 2-for-4 with two RBI in Sunday's victory.

Heriberto Hernandez will enter the Marlins' starting nine as a replacement for Caissie, batting seventh while occupying left field. Though Miami has mostly shielded him from southpaws this season, the left-handed-hitting Caissie has struggled to a .198/.254/.317 slash line while striking out at a 41.2 percent clip over 114 plate appearances.