Marlins' Yuli Gurriel: To get reps at second, third base
Rotowire
Gurriel will be given reps at second and third base in addition to first base, Ely Sussman of FishStripes.com reports.
Gurriel officially latched on with the Marlins on Friday, and while it's a minor-league contract, he's almost surely in line to make the Opening Day roster. The 38-year-old hasn't made a start at a position other than first base since 2019, but he has plenty of past experience at third and a little at second. Gurriel slashed only .242/.288/.360 for the Astros last season and isn't much of a fantasy option for 2023, even if he gains extra position eligibility.
... See More... See Less
Marlins' Yuli Gurriel: Agrees to terms with Marlins
Rotowire
Gurriel signed a contract with Miami on Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Rumors of a potential deal between the Marlins and Gurriel had been swirling around all offseason. Gurriel had been holding out for a major-league contract, and while the details of the deal are not yet known, the two sides were finally able to iron out an agreement. The veteran first baseman will turn 39 in June and slashed .242/.288/.360 during the regular season last year before spraining his right MCL in Game 5 of the World Series.
... See More... See Less
Yuli Gurriel: Remains in touch with Miami
Rotowire
Gurriel (knee) and the Marlins remain in touch on a potential minor-league contract, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Gurriel had been holding out hope of scoring a guaranteed major-league deal, but it's pretty clear by now that such an offer is not coming his way. The 38-year-old first baseman slashed just .242/.288/.360 over 146 regular-season games with the Astros in 2022 before suffering a sprained right MCL in Game 5 of the World Series. He should be recovered from that injury at this point and still rates as a solid defensive player, but Gurriel doesn't offer much offensive upside steering into the 2023 campaign. He'll turn 39 in June.
... See More... See Less
Yuli Gurriel: Still an option for Miami?
Rotowire
Gurriel (knee) could still be an option for the Marlins if he's willing to accept a minor-league contract, according to Craig Mish and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Gurriel was said to be a target of the Marlins back in January, but he remains a free agent with spring training now fully underway. At last check in mid-February, the veteran first baseman was still holding out for a guaranteed major-league deal. He posted a rough .242/.288/.360 batting line over 146 games (584 plate appearances) with the Astros during the 2022 regular season and then suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee in Game 5 of the World Series. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of present momentum toward Gurriel finding a new home.
... See More... See Less
Yuli Gurriel: Marlins no longer pursuing
Rotowire
Gurriel (knee) is no longer a target for the Marlins in free agency, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports.
Gurriel is one of the few potentially impactful position players remaining on the free-agent market, and the Marlins could use some help in that regard, but Mish hears that the club "had stopped any aggressive pursuit" of the veteran first baseman as of Monday afternoon. Maybe this falling out has to do with the MCL sprain that he suffered in Game 5 of the World Series against the Phillies. Gurriel struggled to a .242/.288/.360 slash line during the 2022 regular season before rising up in the early part of the playoffs for the Astros. He turns 39 years old this June but should be able to find a major-league deal at some point before the beginning of spring training.
Gurriel was diagnosed with a sprained right MCL on Saturday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Gurriel suffered the injury after a collision during a rundown in Game 5 of the World Series and will miss the remainder of the series as a result. The Astros have yet to say anything about his availability for next season, and a 38-year-old soon-to-be free agent coming off a down season isn't guaranteed to continue playing, but it seems as though he'd have time to get back to full health by Opening Day.
Astros' Yuli Gurriel: Removed from roster with injury
Rotowire
Gurriel (knee) was removed from the Astros' World Series roster Saturday, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.
Gurriel collided with Rhys Hoskins during a rundown in Game 5 and was forced to leave with a knee injury. The problem was evidently serious enough to end his season a day or two early. Korey Lee was added to the roster in his absence. He'll give the Astros an extra option behind the plate, allowing Christian Vasquez to serve as the designated hitter while Trey Mancini starts at first base.
Gurriel exited Game 5 of the World Series on Thursday due to right knee discomfort, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Gurriel got caught in a rundown and twisted his knee before exiting the game in the eighth inning. Manager Dusty Baker labeled Gurriel day-to-day, and with a day off between Game 5 and 6, it's possible that he isn't forced to miss any additional time. If Gurriel is unable to suit up, Trey Mancini is likely to enter the lineup and start at first base.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yuli Gurriel: Solo shot in Game 1
Rotowire
Gurriel went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Yankees in Game 1 of the ALCS.
Gurriel broke the tie with a solo shot to left off Clarke Schmidt in the bottom of the sixth inning. The 38-year-old righty is now 6-for-19 with two homers in the 2022 postseason. Gurriel had a down year in 2022, hitting only .242 with eight homers after he compiled 15 round trippers and a .319 batting average in 2021. Nonetheless, Gurriel has nearly 300 postseason at-bats and will look to use that experience to his benefit as the ALCS progresses.
Gurriel went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI on Friday against the Rays.
Gurriel tallied two separate RBI knocks, including a single in the fourth inning and a double in the final frame. Despite hitting just .200 across his last 10 games, Gurriel has managed seven RBI in that span. He's maintained a .240/.286/.359 line across 567 plate appearances for the season.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yuli Gurriel: Retreats to bench
Rotowire
Gurriel isn't starting Wednesday against Arizona.
Gurriel went 3-for-17 with a double, four RBI, a run, a walk and three strikeouts over the last four games and will get a breather Wednesday. Trey Mancini is taking over at first base and batting sixth.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yuli Gurriel: Resting Thursday
Rotowire
Gurriel isn't in the lineup Thursday against the Orioles.
Gurriel started the last four games but will get a breather after he went 2-for-15 with a run, an RBI and three strikeouts. Trey Mancini will take his place at first base and bat sixth.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yuli Gurriel: Riding pine Saturday
Rotowire
Gurriel isn't starting Saturday against the Athletics.
Gurriel will get a breather after he hit .333 with a home run, two doubles, three runs and three RBI over the last seven games. Trey Mancini is starting at first base and batting sixth.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yuli Gurriel: Tallies eighth homer
Rotowire
Gurriel went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run Tuesday against the Tigers.
Gurriel took Andrew Chafin yard in the seventh inning to tally his eighth homer of the season. It was his first long ball in 59 games, spanning back to July 1. In addition to his power outage, Gurriel also has maintained a weak .245/.293/.370 line across 518 plate appearances on the season -- good for an 89 wRC+.
... See More... See Less
Astros' Yuli Gurriel: Posts three hits in loss
Rotowire
Gurriel went 3-for-4 in Saturday's 6-1 loss to the Angels.
Gurriel benefited from receiving a day off Friday. His first-inning single led to an error that generated the Astros' lone run in Saturday's contest. Gurriel had gone 11 games without a multi-hit effort, hitting just .125 in that span. His batting average has yet to exceed .250 this year after Game 1 was in the books, and it's currently at .242 with a .654 OPS, seven home runs, 43 RBI, 47 runs scored and eight stolen bases through 126 contests. Despite the poor performance, he continues to see regular playing time at first base.
