The Miami Marlins have hit their roughest stretch of the season. An 8-5 loss to the Astros in Houston on Monday was their seventh straight defeat, Miami’s longest skid since April 2024, and it arrived with more discouraging news attached.
Before the game, the Marlins placed All-Star right-hander Max Meyer on the 15-day injured list with a neck strain — the fifth straight season Meyer has landed on the IL. For a rebuild that has counted on young pitching to carry it, losing a rotation piece in the middle of a losing streak stings twice.
There were flashes worth holding onto. Liam Hicks and Joe Mack both homered, the kind of production from young bats Miami is trying to turn into everyday answers. But Janson Junk could not keep it close, charged with six runs over four innings, and the Marlins spent the night chasing.
The skid dropped Miami to 52-49, third in the NL East and firmly into the murky middle as the trade deadline nears. With Sandy Alcantara and a handful of veterans drawing interest, the next two weeks will test whether the front office holds this group together or starts moving pieces.
For fantasy managers, Meyer comes off redraft rosters until there is a timeline on the neck. Miami’s bats are hard to trust in the middle of a seven-game slide, though Hicks has quietly earned more playing time and is worth monitoring in two-catcher formats. Mack remains a dynasty-only name for now.
