:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72285970/1254622207.0.jpg)
The writing seemed to be on the wall when Jazz Chisholm’s toe injury — which the Miami Marlins star suffered over the weekend against the Cincinnati Reds — required him to leave the team to visit a specialist in North Carolina, And sure enough, the outfielder is going to be out for a while:
Marlins say Jazz Chisholm saw Dr. Anderson in North Carolina and has turf toe. He is going on the injured list.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) May 16, 2023
Chisholm has been placed on the IL after being officially diagnosed with turf toe (in layman’s terms, a sprain of the main joint of the big toe). Garrett Hampson has shifted from the infield to the outfield for Tuesday’s game against the Washington Nationals, although it’s unclear if that’s Miami’s plan to cover center while Chisholm is out. No matter what the replacement, it’s a huge loss for a Marlins lineup already light on impact players: Chisholm had gotten off to a slow start this year by his standards, hitting just .229, but he still managed to swat seven homers and steal 14 bases in his first 39 games.
The initial timeline for a return to the field is four to six weeks, although obviously a lot of that will depend on how Chisholm responds to treatment and what sort of rehab assignment he needs to get back into playing shape. It’s yet another tough break for Chisholm, who’s emerged as one of baseball’s most dynamic young stars — even appearing on the cover of MLB the Show this year after making his first All-Star appearance in 2022 — but has played in just 244 of a possible 425 games since breaking into the Majors in 2020.
A former top-100 prospect, Chisholm struggled in his first taste of the bigs but flashed big potential in 2021, hitting 18 homers and swiping 23 bags. He appeared ticketed for superstardom over the first couple months of 2022, slashing .254/.325/.535 while being on pace for 38 homers and 32 steals, but a stress reaction in his lower back ended his season in late June. Despite that checkered injury history, the Marlins still opted to shift him from second base to center field to accommodate offseason trade acquisition Luis Arraez, a decision that sure seems questionable right now.