Marlins place Christopher Morel on 10-day injured list with an oblique strain

MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Marlins placed infielder Christopher Morel on the 10-day injured list on Saturday because of a left oblique strain.

Morel was in the starting lineup for Miami’s season opener against Colorado on Friday before he became a late scratch. He experienced discomfort while completing pregame batting practice.

“It was something that I had never felt before. I had difficulty breathing,” Morel said after the Marlins 4-3 win over the Rockies.

The 26-year-old Morel was expected to provide a power bat when the Marlins signed him to a one-year deal in the offseason. Morel has 74 home runs, including a career-high 26 in 2023, over the first four seasons of his career with the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays.

“It is an important year for me, especially with the work and the effort I have been putting in,” Morel said. “For this to happen at the last minute before the first game of the season, it is very frustrating.”

The Marlins recalled infielder Deyvison De Los Santos from Triple-A Jacksonville. The move is retroactive to Wednesday.

“In the next week-10 days we'll have a better idea what the range is,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said of Morel's expected absence.

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