Miami Marlins fans can finally breathe.

The Marlins have designated infielder Leo Jiménez for assignment, ending what was an incredibly frustrating stretch for a player who simply was not producing enough to justify the opportunities he was getting. Deyvison De Los Santos has been recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville to take his place.

And honestly, it was about time.

Jiménez finished his Marlins run hitting just .202 with a .311 OBP and a .575 OPS, with only 2 home runs and 14 RBIs in 2026. He collected just 33 hits in 163 at-bats. Those are not numbers that scream for consistent playing time, especially for a team trying to stay competitive down the stretch.

The biggest problem was that there was almost nothing coming from the bat.

Two home runs.

Fourteen RBIs.

A .202 average.

A .575 OPS.

That is simply not enough.

The Marlins continued giving Jiménez opportunities around the infield, including 40 games at third base, while also using him at first and second. The idea was that his versatility and defense could make up for what he wasn’t providing offensively. But when the offense is this poor, there has to be something else making the player valuable enough to stay in the lineup.

And for Miami, it just wasn’t happening consistently enough.

Jiménez was supposed to be a player who could give the Marlins quality at-bats and provide some stability around the infield. Instead, fans were repeatedly watching an offense that struggled to get anything out of his spot in the lineup.

That is what made the situation so frustrating.

It wasn’t just that Jiménez struggled. The Marlins kept giving him chances despite the struggles.

At some point, you have to stop waiting for a player to suddenly turn things around and give somebody else an opportunity.

That is exactly what Miami is doing now.

Enter Deyvison De Los Santos.

De Los Santos is getting another opportunity with the big-league club after putting together some impressive numbers in Triple-A. Since the beginning of August, he had hit .286/.359/.700 with nine home runs and 18 RBIs in 21 games for Jacksonville.

That is the kind of production Marlins fans want to see.

More importantly, De Los Santos brings something Miami desperately needs: power.

The Marlins have needed more players capable of changing a game with one swing, and De Los Santos has been showing that kind of ability in the minors. Now, instead of continuing to run Jiménez out there hoping something changes, Miami can give a young player who has actually been producing another chance.

For Marlins fans, this move should be welcomed.

Jiménez’s time in Miami simply did not work.

The batting average was bad. The OPS was bad. The home-run and RBI production was practically nonexistent. And despite all the opportunities, he never gave the team enough offensively to make the experiment worth continuing.

Now it’s over.

Deyvison De Los Santos gets his chance, and honestly, it’s about damn time.

#FightinFish

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