What happened to Yuli Gurriel? Marlins slugger announced as late scratch after accident in warmups

Miami Marlins first baseman Yuli Gurriel had to be scratched from his start on Thursday. The veteran slugger took a groundball to the face in warmups, causing a facial injury.

The medical staff surrounded him while he held a towel to his face and was helped off the field by the medical staff. Luis Arraez will take over first base while Jon Berti slides over to second, and Jesus Sanchez fills the void in the outfield.

The severity of the injury has yet to be announced, but facial injuries in baseball are always concerning. Boston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houch recently took a comebacker to the face and has had surgery to put a plate in his head.

Yuli Gurriel wasn't the only Marlins player that had to be scratched from Thursday's start against the Red Sox. Garrett Cooper will also be missing from the ballgame due to an illness. Luckily, Miami is full of versatile players who can play multiple positions.

Yuli Gurriel has been great for the Miami Marlins

After spending seven seasons with the Houston Astros, Yuli Gurriel tested free agency last offseason. The Miami Marlins jumped at the opportunity to sign a veteran hitter with experience winning the big game.

Gurriel has appeared in 55 games this season and is hitting .268/.318/.399 with three home runs and 16 RBIs. Miami has primarily stationed him at first base while giving him the occasional game of being the DH.

Gurriel has gelled with his new team and teammates, and it's showing. The Marlins are in second place in the National League East. They hold a 4.5-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies with a record of 47-34. While they aren't a roster full of starts, they are a team that believes in themselves and won't quit until the final out.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom