Marlins First Baseman Starts Rehab Assignment on Tuesday Night

Morel Will Play Few Innings at First Base

The 26-year-old has a deep hunger to return to the team. When it’s a one-year deal, players don’t want to miss any time. Stability and long-term tenure are what Morel is striving for.

Before he went down with an oblique injury, Morel was the primary first baseman for the Marlins. Rehab is not the most exciting process for any baseball player. It can be a headache and quite challenging, but it’s necessary to strengthen the body and the skill set.

Morel will be planning five innings at first base. His focus is not to try to do too much. It’s going to take a couple of games for him to get into rhythm. When it’s the first game back, Morel will experience rustiness. While he was away from the team, Connor Norby has been covering the first base position. 

Defensively, Norby might be the better option compared to Morel. Offensively, Morel has the advantage over Norby. In the last two seasons, Morel has combined for 32 home runs in 257 games, splitting time with the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays. His batting average and on-base percentage are too low for a talent like his. Morel slashed .204/.288/.363. 

Regardless, Miami have options that they can play around with. What the Marlins fear is the constant injuries, and they can happen at any game this season. We don’t know how long Morel's rehab will take. There’s no need to rush him. That’s guaranteed. The Marlins have enough talent on the roster to hold up their end while they wait for his arrival.

If Morel had been an elite offensive player, then the team would be dreading or get a little desperate for him to come back, or if this were the month of September or early October. When the time is right, the Marlins fans and the organization expect nothing but greatness and effort from Morel. 

Morel has been durable for most of his big league career. The last time he was injured was in 2024, when he suffered a minor Achilles injury late in the season, as well as knee and hamstring injuries. 

As we can see, it’s mostly leg problems, and he might need to put more training into his legs to avoid future injuries.