Rookie Sierra wants to finish on high note

MIAMI — Despite a tough rookie year, Magneuris Sierra isn’t getting too down on himself.

Acquired from the Cardinals this offseason in the Marcell Ozuna trade, the 22-year-old has been a prominent fixture in the Marlins outfield since being called up in late July. While he’s logged plenty of time over the summer, he’s had his fair share of struggles.

Through 118 at bats, Sierra is slashing .178/.205/.195 on the year. In addition to his hitting struggles, the speedster has had trouble reaching base, drawing just four walks. His first walk came on his 90th at bat of the year.

Despite that, Sierra has started to swing the bat well over the past week. In his past four games, he’s 4 for 9 with two runs scored. His plate discipline has improved, too, as he’s drawn walks in back to back games.

On Monday night, he was one of the heroes in Miami’s 8-5 win over the Nationals, finishing 1 for 3 with a clutch sixth-inning two-run double. He also had a stolen base and a run scored.

“He’s walked a couple games in row, which is nice,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “He had the battle to get the walk and then he got the big hit. That was a good at bat. It’s good to see him just playing and put a smile on his face, because he’s trying so hard and he hasn’t had a ton of success at this point.”

Sierra — the fourth-fastest player in the league, per Statcast’s sprint speed (30.1 feet/second) — is hoping to finish strong and carry over his recent success into next season.

“I’m just trying to keep working — not keep my head down,” Sierra said. “Try to stay positive and keep working to help the team.”