Esteury Ruiz: Everything you need to know

Ruiz went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and two stolen bases in Friday's loss to the Nationals. Starting in center field and batting ninth against southpaw Foster Griffin, Ruiz beat out a potential double-play grounder in the second inning and then promptly swiped second and third base before being stranded. The 27-year-old's speed has never been in question, only his ability to get on base often enough to put it to good use in the majors. Over his first 11 games as a Marlin, Ruiz has seen just 21 plate appearances as a short-side platoon option and late-inning defensive replacement or pinch runner, but he's gone 5-for-5 in steal attempts despite batting .190 (4-for-21) with a 0:8 BB:K.

Ruiz went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's loss to the Phillies. The 27-year-old supplied all the Marlins' offense when he took a fading Jesus Luzardo deep in the seventh inning. It was Ruiz's second homer of the season, both of which have come in the his last three starts. He's also struck out six times in 12 plate appearances during those contests, however. Ruiz could push his way into a bigger role if he stays hot, but for now he's likely to see most of his action as a short-side platoon option, spelling any of Jakob Marsee, Kyle Stowers or Owen Caissie around the Marlins' outfield.

Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a stolen base in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Dodgers. Making just his second start since returning from the IL, Ruiz had a big impact in Wednesday's victory over his former team. He put Miami ahead 2-1 in the fifth inning with his first homer of the year, which came off Tyler Glasnow, and he subsequently added his first steal. Ruiz appeared in 19 games with the Dodgers in 2025, where he slashed .190/.261/.333 with just one homer and four steals. The speedy outfielder should see fairly regular playing time in Miami's lineup, particularly against left-handed pitching.