The last time Miami Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine played in a major league game was on April 19 against the Philadelphia Phillies. More than five months later, he will be making his return to the Marlins lineup at Citizens Bank Park, the same place where he suffered the shoulder injury that cost him most of the 2025 season. Conine was reinstated from the 60-day injured list on Monday, heading into a three-game series against the Phillies. In his absence, Miami has shockingly played well enough to stay mathematically alive in the race for the third NL Wild Card spot.
Conine, who has been in the Marlins organization since 2020, made a slow climb up the minor league ladder. Being the son of a franchise legend did him no favors as the left-handed power hitter didn’t make his MLB debut until August of 2024 when he was already 27 years old.
His offensive production since then has come as a pleasant surprise. In 50 total games, Mr. Marlin Jr. has slashed .274/.338/.445/.783 with four home runs and 19 RBI. His 117 wRC+ over the last two seasons combined ranks third among all Marlins players with at least 100 plate appearances, trailing only Jakob Marsee and Kyle Stowers.
For what it’s worth, Conine crushed the ball during his just-completed rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville. In nine games, he slashed .292/.514/.583/1.098 with two home runs and nine RBI, walking more times (11) than he struck out (9).
Along with strong offensive contributions, Conine provides good defense in the corner outfield spots. He ranked in the 96th percentile in arm strength among MLB outfielders last season, per Baseball Savant. His home run robbery during the opening series of the season still stands out as arguably the catch of the year for the Marlins.
In a small sample of 327 innings, Conine’s defense has been valued at four defensive runs saved and minus-one outs above average.
Trailing both the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets by four games with only six games left to play, there is a 99.9% chance that the Marlins’ season ends this week without a Wild Card berth. Regardless, Conine is in agreement with Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League to get more game reps during the offseason, making up for the time that his shoulder injury took away from him in preparation for 2026.