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Despite this string of recent wins, the Miami Marlins still have offensive issues to deal with and it hits the forefront with their catchers. Their two current catchers are Nick Fortes and Christian Bethancourt. Bethancourt was acquired during the offseason from the Tampa Bay Rays after Jacob Stallings left for the Colorado Rockies. There were high expectations for him to really thrive in Miami. As for Fortes, he was drafted by the Marlins and has been playing in the majors since 2021. So far this season, time has been split up pretty evenly between the two. Unfortunately, neither of them has been able to get their bats going. Bethancourt has played in 24 games and has 7 hits in 53 at-bats. He started the season 0-for-33. Fortes is not much better with 10 hits in 79 at-bats. Both are underwhelming and not contributing to the already struggling Marlins offense. Hopefully, the Marlins will explore some replacement options toward the deadline so that they can gain some offensive production from the catcher position.
MLB Prop #4
Nick Fortes (MIA) Under 0.5 Hits (+105 @ ESPN)
Fortes has started off this season ice cold, and with Christian Bethancourt on the IL the Marlins really have no one else to turn to.
He has started the year 3 for 29 (.103) and to be honest just isn’t a good hitter.… pic.twitter.com/NXo6XEWJF1
— BackDoorCover (@BackDoorProps) April 16, 2024
Potential Trade Replacements to Take Over as Marlins Catcher
Iván Herrera
Iván Herrera , 23, was a top prospect for the St. Louis Cardinals. He eventually made his MLB debut with them in 2022. Throughout these last two seasons, he bounced around between the majors and minors. In 2023, he was named the Cardinals’ Minor League Player of the Year after slashing .297/.451/.500 at Triple-A Memphis. During his short stints in the majors, he was the backup catcher for guys like Yadier Molina, who retired in 2022, and Willson Contreras. As of this season he has played in 29 games and had a .276 average with three home runs and 24 hits in 87 at-bats.
Iván Herrera comes through again!! ?#ForTheLou pic.twitter.com/9F3huCBry0
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 17, 2024
With Contreras recently fracturing his arm, Herrera is now the Cards’ starting catcher. In his last seven games, he has slashed an impressive .440/.517/.460. With this new position opening up, he can really prove to the Cardinals why he should stay. If they still fail to see him as a valuable piece, he could be a great trade target for the Marlins. Herrera is a young catcher with an immense amount of potential and could be a great fit for Miami.
Elias Díaz
Elias Díaz, 33, is currently with the Colorado Rockies, but has split the past nine seasons between the Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates. Last season he played in 141 games and had 14 homers and 130 hits. That season he slashed .267/.316/.409. So far in 2024, he has 41 hits with three home runs in 38 games played.
While he is not quite a superstar, he could help ease the burden of the Marlins offense. If the Marlins decide not to acquire the young Herrera, they could use a guy like Díaz to mentor some of the younger guys. He is in the last year of his contract with the Rockies and is going to be a free agent after this season. The Rockies also just acquired former Marlin Jacob Stallings, so they may be willing to trade Díaz. This could be an under-the-radar acquisition for the Marlins that could seriously strengthen their catching position.
More must-reads:
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- The 'Switch-hitter single-season HR leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
The 'Switch-hitter single-season HR leaders' quiz
Regardless of what happens in October, the summer of 2025 will be remembered as the summer of Cal Raleigh. Raleigh has smashed record after record this season, starting in August when he became the first catcher to hit 50 home runs in one season. On Tuesday – in his MLB-leading 10th multi-home run game of the season – he passed Mickey Mantle for the most home runs by a switch-hitter in a season with his 55th before tying Ken Griffey Jr. for the most home runs by a Mariner on his 56th against the Kansas City Royals. The most recent homers also came in a 12-5 win that marked 10-straight for the surging Mariners, who have finally overtaken the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West. Which brings us to today’s quiz. A major league switch-hitter has hit at least 35 home runs on 35 occasions in MLB history. How many of the switch-hitters to reach that milestone can you name in five minutes? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
Concerning report emerges about Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin's health
The Washington Capitals began their first day of training camp with an injury scare, as star left winger Alexander Ovechkin left practice early with a lower-body injury. Alexander Ovechkin addresses the media It wasn't immediately clear if the injury affected the same leg that Ovechkin broke last year, when a fractured fibula cost the Capitals captain 16 games. The injury was not severe enough to restrict Ovechkin from speaking to reporters following Thursday's practice. Per NHL.com's Tom Gulitti, Ovechkin sounded "unconcerned" about his lower-body injury, but he added that the Capitals captain might not skate on Friday when training camp resumes. Gulitti added that Washington head coach Spencer Carbery called the decision "precautionary" to take Ovechkin off the ice. Ovechkin, who turned 40 on Wednesday, enters the 2025 season as the NHL's all-time leading goal-scorer with 897 tallies. When asked if he is approaching this season as if it would be his last, Ovechkin said he didn't know. Ovechkin is also the NHL's all-time leader in regular-season power-play goals (326), game-winning goals (136) and shots on net (6,864). Depending on the severity of this injury, Capitals fans may have to wait to watch Ovechkin continue padding those totals and try to lead the Caps to their second Stanley Cup.
'You kept your mouth shut': College Football Hall of Famer praises Georgia star
Count College Football Hall of Famer and CBS Sports analyst Aaron Taylor among the fans of Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, who led the Bulldogs to a thrilling 44-41 overtime win against Tennessee on the road on Saturday. The SEC matchup was touted as Stockton's first true test as Georgia's QB this season. "I'm going to give the game ball this week to Gunner Stockton," Taylor said Tuesday. Added the analyst: "Gunner, you represent everything that's great about football and this sport. You kept your mouth shut and you delivered when it mattered most. You pushed all the chips in on yourself, you bet on yourself and you dropped a dime and rose to the moment when your best is needed." Gunner Stockton sat behind Carson Beck, Stetson Bennett Stockton is in his first season as a full-time starter for the No. 5 Bulldogs (3-0). He enrolled at Georgia in 2022 and sat behind Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck. However, the 21-year-old redshirt junior got considerable playing time in Georgia's postseason run last season. Stockton helped lead the Bulldogs to an SEC Championship Game win over Texas after Beck suffered an injury and also started in Georgia's College Football Playoff loss against Notre Dame. The matchup against Tennessee was Stockton's first career start against an SEC opponent. Against the Volunteers, he threw for 304 yards, two touchdowns and completed 74 percent of his passes. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound QB displayed poise despite playing in a hostile environment in a rivalry the Bulldogs have won nine consecutive times. Gunner Stockton threw key TD pass late against Tennessee In a 4th-and-7 situation with Georgia trailing 38-30 late in the fourth quarter, Stockton threw a 28-yard TD pass to wideout London Humphreys to give the Bulldogs a chance to tie. Stockton then converted a two-point conversion pass to Zachariah Branch to tie the score at 38. Stockton also contributed 38 yards rushing and a TD. Georgia HC Kirby Smart's offense is predicated on the power game, and Stockton executed the game plan perfectly. Taylor, who starred at Notre Dame from 1990-93, knows football, and he likes what he sees in the Georgia QB. "It was the way he blocked out all of the noise," Taylor said about Stockton. "Somehow he had humility but confidence."
Kyle Shanahan has surprising Brock Purdy update — 49ers are confident in QB situation regardless
Steelers fans get alarming update about T.J. Watt: 'It's even worse'
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has the fan base very upset after back-to-back disappointing performances. In Week 1, the Steelers were lucky to escape MetLife Stadium with a 34-32 win over the New York Jets, but in Week 2, they lost at home. Dropping a game to the Seattle Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium is far from ideal, but it’s not time to worry just yet. The season is long, and plenty can change as things progress. Still, the fact that both opponents were able to rack up nearly 400 yards of offense each against one of the NFL’s highest-paid defenses is a legitimate reason for concern. What makes the situation even more troubling is the lack of home-run production from T.J. Watt, the face of this defensive unit. Daniel Valente, a stats expert on social media, highlighted numbers that reveal Watt has not been the same disruptive force for quite some time. His data shows a drop-off in sacks and overall impact, which is eye-opening considering how much the Steelers lean on Watt to change games. When your top player isn’t producing at the level fans have come to expect, the struggles across the entire defense become that much harder to ignore. His quiet outings not only limit the Steelers’ ability to generate momentum-shifting plays, but they also give opposing offenses confidence to attack more aggressively. Without Watt setting the tone, the defense looks far less intimidating and far more vulnerable than fans are used to seeing. For a defense that was built to carry this team through tough stretches, the early season results have not matched the hype. Allowing nearly 800 yards in two weeks and seeing their cornerstone player go quiet has created a wave of frustration among fans who expected dominance, not vulnerability. While it’s far too early to call the situation a crisis, these trends need to reverse quickly. The pressure is mounting, and if the defense doesn’t respond, the narrative around Pittsburgh could shift from Super Bowl aspirations to serious doubts about their ability to compete. Now, it’s not all on Watt, and it’s important to recognize what’s really happening here. The fact that he has failed to record a sack in five of his last 17 games is certainly concerning, but it isn’t entirely his fault. Steelers' T.J. Watt's lack of overall production explained Opposing offenses are adjusting to neutralize him, and the Steelers’ inability to stop the run has made it easier. Far too often, teams are running to the opposite side of the field from where Watt lines up, effectively removing him from the play before it begins. When the defense can’t win at the line of scrimmage or contain the ground game, it puts Watt in a position where his impact is minimized, no matter how hard he’s playing. That falls back on defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who has not put this unit in the best position to succeed. The talent and investment on this defense are far too great for them to look this vulnerable. The breakdown late in the fourth quarter against Seattle, where Kenneth Walker III broke free for a 19-yard touchdown run, was unacceptable for a team with championship expectations.
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