The Miami Marlins made their first wave of spring roster cuts Monday morning in Jupiter, Fla., optioning outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. to Triple-A Jacksonville and reassigning five other players to Minor League camp. Mesa was the only player in the group on the 40-man roster. The Marlins also reassigned outfielder Jakob Marsee, left-hander Justin King, right-handers Woo-Suk Go and Freddy Tarnok, and catcher Ryan Ignoffo.
Everyone except Ignoffo had been sidelined by an injury during spring training. Mesa sustained a mild right hamstring strain during a drill on Feb. 21 and did not appear in a Grapefruit League game. He is expected to miss another three weeks.
Victor Mesa Jr. continues recovery
Mesa is ranked No. 27 on MLB Pipeline’s new Top 30 Marlins prospects list. The hamstring strain was the latest setback for Mesa, who had a season-ending back injury in July 2024. He likely would have made his Major League debut in 2024 if not for that injury.
The 23-year-old Mesa was on the outside looking in for an Opening Day roster spot, with fellow left-handed outfielders Jesus Sanchez, Kyle Stowers and Griffin Conine in camp with Major League experience.
“He was off to a strong start, even prior to games,” Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “He looked good and was doing some things, and so unfortunate that he and us didn’t get to see that out there. But again, we told him in there, ‘You just get yourself back right, make sure you’re healthy, get off to a great start, and then just knock [down] the door. Just go out and perform and go do it, and we’ll see you soon.’”
Jakob Marsee among reassigned players
Marsee is ranked No. 24 on the Marlins prospects list and resumed baseball activities within the past week while rehabbing a lower-level right oblique strain. He finished 2024 at Triple-A and was injured before the spring training schedule began. The Miami Marlins acquired Marsee in the Luis Arraez trade with the San Diego Padres, and he was in his first Major League camp with the organization.
Tarnok was recovering from a rolled left ankle, King from a left adductor strain and Go from a fractured right index finger. Ignoffo was the only player among the six who had not been sidelined by an injury during spring training.
“The timing of it was just unfortunate,” McCullough said. “In Marsee’s case, didn’t really get a chance to do a whole lot. That doesn’t diminish what we think about Jakob. And with all of them, with their timeline and returns to play, as spring gets deeper, innings become tougher, plate appearances, [too].”
McCullough said the players would focus on getting healthy and continuing their return-to-play plans before moving into the best positions to prepare for the start of the season.
“It was more, ‘Get yourself back healthy, stay on your return to play, and then we can get you into what we think is the best spot for each of them, for their return to play and get built back up for the start of the season,’” McCullough said.
Source: Original report