Dee Gordon Returns to Marlins After Suspension

Miami Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon was reinstated to the active roster July 27th after serving an 80 game suspension for using performance enhancing drugs. Gordon last played on April 28th. Last season, Gordon hit .333 with 58 stolen bases, leading the National League in both those categories. Upon returning to the team, Gordon publicly apologized for his actions. He did not see action in the Marlins’ 11-1 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Assuming he can get back to form, Gordon should give the Marlins a boost. They weren’t counted on as being a threat to the Washington Nationals or the defending National League champion New York Mets in the N.L. East race, but at the close of action on the 27th, the Marlins were 55-46 and in 2nd place behind Washington, with 3rd place New York a game and a half behind them.

Even without Gordon, the Marlins aren’t a bad team. They have some pretty good bats in their line up , though few are household names. ThirdBaseman Martin Prado is hitting .324, fourth best in the league. Twenty four year old left fielder Christian Yelich, already in his fourth bigleague season, continues to develop into a solid player. He’s hitting .319 with 10 homers and 55 RBIs. Second year catcher J.T. Realmuto ishitting .313, and center fielder Marcell Ozuna is hitting .297 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs. Elder statesman Ichiro Suzuki is hitting .332 as a spot starter and pinch hitter, and will soon get his 3000th career hit.

But the face of the franchise is Giancarlo Stanton who, after an awful early part of the season, has roared back. Stanton was hitting just .193 on June 15th; he’s up to .245, with 22 homers and 59 RBIs. Stanton hit 61 home runs in the Home Run Derby at the All-Star game, and his blasts are something to see. We were at a game a few years ago where he came in as a pinch hitter and launched an absolute rocket of a home run that looked like it was still rising as it hit the second deck seats. Here he is in action in the Marlins’ win over the Phillies July 27th:

Whether the Marlins make it to the post season or not, the immediate future of the team is promising.