The Marlins announced to reporters, including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald, that Brian Anderson has been placed on the injured list. No designation for Anderson’s placement was given, suggesting he’s likely on the COVID-related injured list. Bryan De La Cruz has been recalled to take his place on the roster.
With no further information coming from the club, it’s unclear if Anderson tested positive or if he’s been placed on the IL due to experiencing symptoms or because of contact tracing. Under the league’s 2022 health and safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club, but it’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests, and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician). Players who are experiencing symptoms but do not test positive can return in shorter order if their symptoms abate.
Anderson had an excellent three-year run with the Marlins from 2018 to 2020, hitting .266/.350/.436 for a 115 wRC+ in that time. Last year, injuries limited his playing time and his production, as he got into only 67 games and hit just .249/.337/.378, 99 wRC+. This year, however, has been a tremendous bounce-back thus far. Twenty games into the campaign, he’s walked at an incredible 14.7% rate and produced a batting line of .258/.387/.387, 135 wRC+. That progress will have to be put on hold for the time being.
Although primarily a third baseman in recent years, Anderson is also capable of playing the outfield corners. With the acquisition of Joey Wendle, he’s been spending a bit more time on the grass this year. In his absence, De La Cruz will join an outfield mix that consists of Jorge Soler, Jesus Sanchez and Avisail Garcia. De La Cruz has largely been coming off the bench as a late-game replacement this year but has been making the most of his time. In 25 plate appearances across 16 games, he’s hit .316/.440/.474, 168 wRC+. Despite those excellent numbers, he was optioned to Triple-A yesterday when the club needed a fresh arm for the bullpen. However, players are allowed to return after a stay less than the 10-day minimum option length if they are replacing a player going on the IL, as is the case here.
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