Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s time off the injured list lasted ... one week.

The Miami Marlins’ starting center fielder is once again sidelined, this time due to a left oblique strain sustained in Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Miami selected the contract of utility player Dane Myers, whom they acquired in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft in December, to replace Chisholm on the active roster ahead of its series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals and designated for assignment pitcher Eli Villalobos to make room for Myers on the 40-man roster.

“It’s frustrating,” Chisholm said of returning to the injured list, “but I trust my teammates. I trust the guys and I trust the staff that they made the right decision on who they’re bringing to replace me on the roster and help us keep winning.”

Chisholm had previously spent a month and a half on the injured list with turf toe aftercolliding with the wall in left-center field at loanDepot park on May 13 while trying to make an inning-ending play against the Cincinnati Reds. Hereturned to the lineup on Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox and played in all six games last week, hitting .348 (8 for 23) with two doubles, two home runs, five RBI and four runs scored while logging at least one hit in all six games.

He exited the Marlins’ finale after feeling his oblique tighten up during his sixth-inning at-bat on Sunday.

“I felt it right after the swing,” Chisholm said. “It felt like it cramped up. I went in the dugout and I didn’t feel like it was releasing from the cramp.”

Chisholm is slated to get an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said postgame Sunday that he was concerned about Chisholm’s status.

“Anytime someone grabs their side, you’re concerned,” Schumaker said. “We’ll see what happens. ... He was feeling good at the plate, definitely changes the lineup. He changes the game.”

Schumaker echoed the sentiment Monday.

“He’s a special player,” Schumaker said, “so it does suck that he’s not here right now to finish off the first half. I hate to use that word, but it’s just the reality. It’s not fun to see any player grab their side. ... That thing can turn from 10 to 14 [days] — we don’t know what it’s going to be — to two months, depending on if you try to push through it.”

In Chisholm’s place on the roster for the time being will be Myers, a 27-year-old utility player and former sixth-round pick whom the Marlins acquired in December.

Through games played Sunday, Myers was hitting .335 with a .956 on-base-plus-slugging mar, 13 home runs, 46 RBI and 50 runs scored over 69 games in the minor leagues. His production has skyrocketed since being promoted from Double A Pensacola to Triple A Jacksonville on June 8. In 20 games with the Jumbo Shrimp, Myers has a .440 batting average/.494 on-base percentage/.707 slugging slash line with six home runs, 21 RBI and 16 runs scored.

Defensively, Myers has split time between all three outfield spots, third base and first base, giving the Marlins flexibility with how they utilize him. Jonathan Davis will most likely take over as the team’s primary center fielder with Chisholm out.

Myers was a two-way player in high school and college and began his minor-league career exclusively as a pitcher before shifting over to being a position player full-time beginning with the 2021 season.

This story was originally publishedJuly 3, 2023 at 2:33 PM.

Jordan McPherson

Miami Herald

305-376-2129

Jordan McPherson covers the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Panthers for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and covered the Gators athletic program for five years before joining the Herald staff in December 2017.