Miami Marlins outfielder Kyler Stowers was in the midst of a breakout season before a left oblique injury put him on the shelf. While he was able to advance to a rehab assignment, an unfortunate setback has now halted Stowers' return in its tracks.
The Marlins pulled the outfielder off of his assignment after suffering an injury to his right oblique. While it came on a seemingly innocuous swing, Stowers immediately felt something wrong. Now, he has revealed exactly how his new injury came to be, via Kevin Barral of of Fish on First.
“Didn't really think too much of it because when you're coming back from an injury, just kind of part of the process, sometimes, getting the rest of the body going,” Stowers said. “Next day, I didn't anticipate getting very nervous and a lot of adrenaline for the first rehab game. I was pretty sore all over and that's what led to that initial scratch.”
“As the rest of my body began to calm down, I just noticed some tightness in my rib area and was a little bit in disbelief to be honest with you,” he continued. “That was when we ultimately decided to get things looked at little more.”
This was the swing Stowers was referring to https://t.co/Y6OPfmnMZy pic.twitter.com/lFwJ66bfux
— Kevin Barral (@kevin_barral) September 10, 2025
Holding a record of 66-79 and 10 games out of the Wild Card hunt, the Marlins aren't going to rush Stowers back to the diamond. The team has been desperate to find a spark in their lineup. But as Miami tries to turn the corner, it appears they have a core building block to work with in Stowers.
In the 117 games before his injury, the outfielder hit .288 with 25 home runs, 73 RBI and five stolen bases. He leads the team in home runs, RBIs and batting average, amongst players with at least 100 plate appearances. Furthermore, Stower's 3.6 Wins Above Replacement leads the team as he is one of only two players to have a WAR over three.
The Marlins still have some holes to fill before truly being playoff contenders. But they know having Stowers in their outfield is the first step. Their focus is more on making sure he comes back healthy rather than forcing him back before 2025's close.
