Bad fortune continues to hit Víctor Mesa Jr.’s career in the Miami Marlins farm system. The Cuban prospect, ranked 19th in the organization according to Baseball America, will suffer another pause in his development after being diagnosed with a mild strain in his right hamstring, which will keep him out of action for an estimated period of three to four weeks.
Practically, this means that he will miss all of Spring Training, which represents a serious blow to his aspirations to make the team for the start of the 2025 season. Manager Clayton McCullough confirmed the news. The Cuban, who had his 2024 season cut short by a back injury that sent him to the 60-day disabled list and he ended up missing the chance to debut in the majors.
Sources close to the organization confirmed that management already had plans to call him up to the Major Leagues in the final part of the season, which would have broken the mark of 34 Cuban players seeing action in a single MLB campaign. Mesa Jr. was optimistic in the offseason that this would be the yeat he would make his debut on the grand stage, despite the frustration of 2024.
“It was more frustrating for no one than for me. Everything happens for a reason. Maybe it wasn’t the time. God willing it is now. From day one I have the mentality that I can join a team from now on. That’s what I have in my head and no one is going to get that out of my mind” he expressed in a conversation with our sister page Pelota Cubana.
The outfielder had a solid season in Triple-A with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in 2024, where he played 83 games and hit.255 (85 hits in 333 at-bats) with 29 extra-base hits (15 doubles, 1 triple and 13 home runs), 30 walks and 51 RBIs, making him an important person n the team’s lineup.
Clayton McCullough, new manager of the Marlins, regretted the news of his injury and highlighted the work that Mesa Jr. had been doing in camp. “It’s a shame, both for us and for him, because he was doing really interesting things. Our coaching staff was very excited about what he was showing. You hate to see any kind of mishap at camp, but at least it happened now. He will recover, he will get healthy and we have a long season ahead of us.”
The competition for a spot in the Marlins outfield was presented as a real opportunity for Mesa Jr., who was trying to earn a spot on the roster for the 2025 season. Now, with this new obstacle, his path back to action will go through a rehabilitation process before he can once again prove his worth on the field.