Mervis (oblique) was activated from the 7-day injured list Tuesday.
Mervis missed just over three weeks while recovering from an oblique strain. He's been solid in five games since his return, going 5-for-16 with two home runs, three RBI, one stolen base and four runs scored.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Out at Triple-A with oblique strain
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Mervis has been placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Jacksonville with an oblique strain, Kevin Barral of FishonFirst.com reports.
Mervis has dealt with the injury for a couple days and didn't improve enough to avoid the IL. He's slashed .246/.309/.623/.932 with six home runs in 16 games with Jacksonville after being removed from the Marlins' 40-man roster.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Staying in organization
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Mervis cleared waivers Monday and has been outrighted to Triple-A Jacksonville, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports.
Miami designated Mervis for assignment over the weekend after he struggled to a .175/.254/.383 slash line while striking out at a 37.3 percent clip over his 134 plate appearances with the big club. Despite being just 27 years old and a prospect of some repute not too long ago, Mervis' high strikeout rates at the big-league level and lack of defensive versatility were likely major factors in teams electing not to put in a waiver claim for him. Since he hasn't been previously outrighted and has less than three years of MLB service time, Mervis will remain in the Miami organization after clearing waivers.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Likely losing roster spot
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Mervis is expected to be designated for assignment by the Marlins ahead of Friday's series opener against the Giants, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports.
Mervis was acquired from the Cubs in December, but his new organization has apparently seen enough after he stumbled to a .175/.254/.383 slash line with seven homers and a 37.3 percent strikeout rate through 42 games this season. The 27-year-old could receive some interest on waivers given his prospect pedigree, but his .165 batting average and .560 OPS through 260 career big-league plate appearances is likely to dissuade most clubs.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Grabbing seat Monday
Rotowire
Mervis is absent from the lineup for Monday's game against the Cubs.
Mervis has seen his playing time slip lately, as this is the fourth time over the Marlins' last 10 contests versus right-handed pitching that he's been out of the lineup. The 27-year-old is just 3-for-30 with a 44.1 percent strikeout rate across his last 12 games. Liam Hicks is in the designated hitter spot and batting seventh in Monday's series opener.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Not in Friday's lineup
Rotowire
Mervis is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Rays.
Mervis started the previous four games but will sit Friday after going 1-for-9 with a walk and three strikeouts during that stretch. Eric Wagaman will take over at first base for the series opener versus Tampa Bay.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Not in Marlins' lineup
Rotowire
Mervis is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the White Sox.
It's right-hander Bryse Wilson on the bump for the White Sox, but the left-handed-hitting Mervis will nonetheless begin the festivities on the bench. It's the first time this season that Mervis -- who is 1-for-14 with 10 strikeouts in May -- is not in the lineup versus a righty. Liam Hicks is in the designated hitter spot for Miami.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Launches seventh homer
Rotowire
Mervis went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's loss to the Reds.
The first baseman gave Miami an early lead when he took Brady Singer deep in the first inning, but it was all the offense the team would manage in a 5-2 loss. Mervis hasn't had a multi-hit performance since April 9, leaving him with a .233 batting average on the season, but his power has been as advertised -- he's belted seven homers in 19 games, giving him a .617 SLG.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Getting day off vs. lefty
Rotowire
Mervis is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks.
With southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez taking the hill for Arizona, Mervis will be one of three left-handed-hitting Marlins regulars who will retreat to the bench. Eric Wagaman will pick up a start at first base in place of Mervis, who has gone 9-for-25 with six home runs and 11 RBI over his last eight games.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Belts another home run
Rotowire
Mervis went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Diamondbacks.
Mervis tied the game up at 1-1 in the fourth inning, when he took Brandon Pfaadt deep to right-center field for a 396-foot solo homer. Mervis has logged four home runs over his last five games, and his six long balls this year is tied for fourth-most in the majors.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Smacks pinch-hit homer
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Mervis went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 11-4 win over the Nationals.
Pinch hitting for Jonah Bride in the seventh inning, Mervis took the second pitch he saw from Jorge Lopez deep to center field for a 411-foot, three-run home run. Mervis has smacked a home run in three consecutive outings and has gone 9-for-27 with five runs scored, five home runs and 11 RBI since the beginning of April.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Cranks fourth homer
Rotowire
Mervis went 1-for-3 with one walk and a solo home run in Saturday's 7-6 win over the Nationals.
Mervis opened the scoring in the second inning when he took Trevor Williams deep to right field for a solo home run. Mervis has smacked homers in back-to-back games, and the 28-year-old first baseman is slashing .281/.333/.656 with five runs scored, four home runs and eight RBI across 36 plate appearances, though he's also struck out 14 times.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Powers team with two homers
Rotowire
Mervis went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and three RBI in Saturday's 4-0 win over Atlanta.
Mervis got the scoring started with a two-run shot off AJ Smith-Shawver in the first inning, his first homer of the season, before launching a 421-foot blast off lefty Jose Suarez in the seventh. It was quite a performance from the 26-year-old Mervis, who had gone just 2-for-15 (.133) in five games prior to Saturday. Mervis should continue to see regular playing time in the middle of Miami's order.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: On bench against lefty
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Mervis is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mets.
With southpaw David Peterson on the bump for the Mets, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough will run out a starting nine consisting of seven right-handed or switch hitters. Mervis will be joined on the bench by fellow left-handed hitters Griffin Conine and Kyle Stowers.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Day off against lefty
Rotowire
Mervis isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Pirates.
The Marlins will load up their lineup with right-handed bats against southpaw Bailey Falter, so Mervis will begin Saturday's contest in the dugout. Eric Wagaman will fill in as Miami's first baseman and bat fourth.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Goes yard Monday
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Mervis went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's split-squad game against the Nationals.
His second-inning shot off Mitchell Parker was the second homer of the spring in eight appearances for Mervis. The 26-year-old slugger has made some loud contact in camp, batting .292 (7-for-24) with two doubles in addition to his long balls, but his 1:9 BB:K suggests he still needs to make more frequent contact to be a trustworthy fantasy asset -- he has a career 31.7 percent strikeout rate in 126 big-league PAs.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Worked to fix swing in offseason
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Mervis believes he has corrected some bad habits that developed in his swing mechanics and his approach last season, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports. "Last year, I think I just tried to prove that I deserved to be [in the majors] and got out of my approach, swung it some bad pitches. I would say [my struggles were] more things that I could control," Mervis said this week.
The numbers bear out that assessment, as Mervis' 55.1 percent swing rate with the Cubs in 2024 was almost five points higher than it had been the season before. The 26-year-old also dealt with a fractured hamate bone in his hand that cost him about six weeks while with Triple-A Iowa. Acquired by the Marlins this offseason in a trade, Mervis appears to be locked into a spot on the 26-man roster following Saturday's optioning of prospect Deyvison De Los Santos to Triple-A Jacksonville. Mervis should serve on the strong side of a platoon at first base with Jonah Bride while also seeing time at DH, and the confidence that comes with not feeling like he's fighting for a job could help him regain the form that saw him slash .287/.394/.555 and slug 37 homers over 157 games for Iowa in the 2022-23 seasons. He's looked good so far this spring, going 6-for-20 (.300) with two doubles and a homer in seven Grapefruit League appearances.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Launches first homer of spring
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Mervis went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.
Starting at DH and batting sixth, Mervis drove a Trevor Williams offering over the right-field fence in the second inning for his first homer of the spring. Assuming he has at least a decent camp, Mervis is expected to open the season on the strong side of a platoon with Jonah Bride at first base while also mixing in at DH. While Mervis struggled in limited big-league opportunities with the Cubs, he sports a career .269/.371/.511 slash line over 242 games at Triple-A with 52 home runs.
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Marlins' Matt Mervis: Will get long look in camp
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Mervis will be given a chance to win a starting role with the Marlins in spring training, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.
Jonah Bride is penciled in as the starting first baseman headed into camp, but the 29-year-old doesn't profile as much of an offensive threat given his career .667 OPS and 12 homers over 565 big-league plate appearances. Mervis is coming off a brutal 2024 campaign that included a .235/.329/.434 in 81 games for Triple-A Iowa in the Cubs' system, but the 26-year-old was viewed as one of the top first-base prospects in baseball just one year before after slugging 22 home runs with a .282/.399/.533 line in 100 appearances for Iowa. If Mervis can regain that form, he should quickly seize a spot at the heart of a Marlins' batting order that is lacking in established power threats. Mervis and Bride could also end up platooning at first base, with Mervis on the strong side, if rookie Deyvison De Los Santos shows enough this spring to break camp as the team's starting DH.
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Cubs' Matt Mervis: Makes return from IL
Rotowire
Mervis (hand) was reinstated from Triple-A Iowa's 7-day injured list Tuesday and has gone 4-for-17 with five walks since rejoining the lineup.
Mervis missed about six-and-a-half weeks with a hand injury and didn't require a rehab assignment before being activated. The 26-year-old has spent the majority of the season at Iowa, slashing .238/.332/.463 with 13 home runs and two stolen bases over 60 games.
