The Marlins announced that outfielder Dane Myers suffered a fracture in his left ankle on Saturday. Myers will visit a foot specialist to determine the severity of the injury, though the good news is that surgery isn’t expected to be required. Craig Mish of the Miami Herald (X link) writes that for now, Myers will miss roughly 6-8 weeks. An official injured-list placement for Myers could take place at any point during the All-Star break, or at least prior to the Marlins’ first game after the break on Friday.
The injury occurred in ignominious fashion, as Myers hurt his ankle by kicking the clubhouse door in frustration on Saturday. Myers had been ejected in the eighth inning of the Marlins’ 10-6 loss to the Reds after vehemently arguing a third strike call from home plate umpire Derek Thomas.
“I took a swipe at the door with my foot, and I didn’t think I kicked it that hard, but I fractured my foot,” Myers told MLB.com and other media. “That’s something you have to do as a pro. It’s the last missing piece in my game: staying level-headed and not letting the emotions take over.”
A sixth-round pick for the Tigers in the 2017 draft, Myers didn’t get a look in the big leagues until 2023, after Miami had claimed him off waivers from Detroit during the 2022-23 offseason. Myers appeared in 22 games and hit .269/.286/.358 over 70 plate appearances last year, and was performing well with more playing time this season — a .265/.337/.422 slash line and two home runs over 95 PA in 40 games.
With the Marlins in full rebuild mode, it stands to reason that Myers would’ve continued to earn even more playing time once some more veterans were cleared off the roster. In particular, manager Skip Schumaker said that Myers would be getting more time in center field even prior to the trade deadline since Jazz Chisholm Jr. will now be deployed more often as a second baseman. Even with Myers now sidelined, Schumaker said the team won’t be changing its plans with Chisholm, which only adds to the speculation that Chisholm’s position change is meant as a potential showcase for trade suitors in advance of July 30 trade deadline.