Rookie makes Marlins’ debut.
Magneuris Sierra is not an intimidating figure.
At 5 foot 11, 160 pounds, if you saw Sierra outside an MLB locker room, you wouldn’t bat an eye, and you probably wouldn’t guess he’s the Miami Marlins’ sixth-best prospect, according to MLB.com.
After Monday night’s game, though, when Garrett Cooper was placed on the disabled list with a wrist injury, Sierra got the call-up, hopped on a plane from the Marlins’ triple-A team in New Orleans to Miami. And Tuesday morning, Sierra was in the Marlins’ starting lineup for that day’s game against the Atlanta Braves.
“For me, I look at it as another chance,” Sierra said through a translator before Tuesday’s game. “I wake up every morning, and I feel blessed to have this opportunity, and I just go out there and give my 100 percent and do the best I can.”
When Sierra speaks of this being “another chance,” he means it. Sierra made 64 plate appearances in 22 games for the St. Louis Cardinals last season, in which he batted .317 with five RBIs.
Then he was shipped to the Marlins as part of the Marcell Ozuna trade last winter. Since then, Sierra has been working in the minors waiting on his next shot in the MLB.
“At first it was difficult [in New Orleans],” Sierra said. “But after making some adjustments, I was able, finally to accomplish what I needed to do down there, and now I’m just ready to go.”
Against the Braves and Julio Teheran, though, Sierra struggled. He was one of only two Miami starters who failed to register a hit in the Marlins’ 9-3 win. In fact, in his first at-bat, Sierra struck out on three pitches, with strike three coming on a weak, flailing swing at an outside fastball.
Of course, Sierra’s struggles in his debut aren’t cause for concern at this point. Miami manager Don Mattingly lauded Sierra before the game, saying he’s “tooled up” — a reference to Sierra being a five-tool player.
But Mattingly also said the 22-year-old outfielder is “a work in progress.”
When a player is as highly touted as Sierra is entering the majors, it’s easy to expect them to start off on a high note. One can forget that it takes some time for players to develop, even after they reach the big leagues.
And when you look at Sierra’s minor-league numbers, you can tell there is still some growing for him to do. His batting average is .260, with an on-base percentage of .287 and just 13 walks in 368 plate appearances, making it
likely that if Cooper hadn’t suffered his injury, Sierra wouldn’t be in the majors yet.
For his part, he’s trying to maintain the same focus he had in the minors.
Sierra knows that his speed is his strongest asset, so he’s trying to find ways to use it as much as possible. That means getting on base more.
“My focus every time I’m entering the game is just finding ways to get on base,” Sierra said, “Because that way I can help the team out by scoring runs. So my focus is always get on base and score.”
Castro earns game chain
Starlin Castro sat at his locker after Tuesday’s game with some new jewelry around his neck.
The second baseman hit the key, three-run home run in the Marlins’ 9-3 win over the Braves, and his reward was a gaudy, bedazzled chain in the shape of Miami’s logo.
Its name, Castro says, is the #JDF16MVPOfTheGame Chain. It’s dedicated to the late Jose Fernandez, and it will be a fixture at Marlins Park, given to the most valuable player of home games.
“We’re gonna keep it here [at Marlins Park],” Castro said. “And Thursday, when we come back, whoever’s gonna be the hero is gonna put it on.”