Christopher Morel Fantasy Stats

Miami Marlins first baseman Christopher Morel (oblique) has been placed on the injured list, according to Craig Mish of SportsGrid. In a corresponding move, first baseman Deyvison De Los Santos was recalled from Triple-A. Morel has yet to make his 2026 regular-season debut, as he was scratched from the Opening Day lineup on Friday with a left oblique strain. The 26-year-old is coming off a lackluster year with the Rays in which he slashed .219/.289/.396 with an 8.2% walk rate, a 35.7% strikeout rate, and 90 wRC+ across 105 games in the majors. While Morel primarily played left field last year, he's the Marlins' projected first baseman for 2026. De Los Santos and Liam Hicks should fill in at first base for the duration of his IL stint.

Miami Marlins first baseman/outfielder Christopher Morel (oblique) was scratched from the Opening Day lineup on Friday against the visiting Colorado Rockies due to a left-oblique strain, according to Craig Mish of Sports Grid. Connor Norby will replace him at first base, and Owen Caissie will serve as the designated hitter against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland. For now, we'll consider Morel to be day-to-day, but oblique injuries can be tricky, so nobody should be surprised if he eventually lands on the 10-day injured list. The 26-year-old Dominican has plenty of power -- he has 74 home runs in four major-league seasons with the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays -- but he also has 538 strikeouts in 1,770 plate appearances. In 105 games in 2025 with the Rays, Morel hit .219/.289/.396 with 11 homers, 33 RBI, seven stolen bases, 25 walks, and 109 K's in 305 plate appearances. A return to the 20-homer mark is easily attainable with enough volume in Miami, but he'll really hurt your average with all of his whiffs.

Miami Marlins infielder/outfielder Christopher Morel is expected to open the year as the team's primary starting first baseman, barring a "dramatic change of heart" by the team, a source told Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. It's good news for Morel's fantasy baseball value in deeper leagues entering his first year in Miami, but just remember that there is a lot of volatility and swing-and-miss here. The 26-year-old right-handed hitter is a career .222 hitter in four big-league seasons with 538 strikeouts in 1,770 plate appearances. In 105 games last year with the Tampa Bay Rays, Morel hit .219/.289/.396 with a .684 OPS, 11 home runs, 33 RBI, 37 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. He's also gone 5-for-37 (.135) with no homers, 13 K's, and three walks in spring training. Morel has some power from the right side, but if he continues to struggle offensively, the Marlins will give other players opportunities at first base in 2026.

Miami Marlins infielder Christopher Morel is feeling more comfortable at first base, according to Christina De Nicola. Morel got his first taste at first base during Saturday's Grapefruit League contest against the New York Mets. He received praise from manager Clayton McCullough following Saturday's win. Morel signed a one-year deal with the Marlins during the offseason. In December, Morel began practicing at first base five times a week. This is the first time that Morel has played first base during his professional career, but he appears happy to make the switch in positions. He'll likely need to be more consistent with the bat if he wants to play every day in 2026. Last season, Morel slashed .219/.289/.396 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI in 105 games with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Marlins do have a handful of other options to play first base if Morel fizzles out, but he appears to be getting a fair shot at earning the job in camp.

Free-agent outfielder/designated hitter Christopher Morel agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal with the Miami Marlins on Friday, according to Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. The Marlins are in desperate need of a first baseman, and it appears the Fish plan to play him there in 2026 despite his lack of experience at the position. The 26-year-old right-handed slugger has plenty of pop from the right side, but he swings and misses far too often. He opened eyes with 26 home runs and an .821 OPS with the Chicago Cubs in 2023, but he has struggled to replicate those numbers over the last two seasons. In 2025 with the Tampa Bay Rays, Morel hit just .219/.289/.396 with a .684 OPS, 11 homers, 33 RBI, 37 runs, seven steals, and 109 strikeouts in 305 plate appearances. If the Marlins can somehow get him to make more contact, Morel will be relevant in all fantasy leagues for his power.

The Tampa Bay Rays designated outfielder Christopher Morel for assignment on Tuesday, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays acquired Morel from the Chicago Cubs in a trade during the 2024 season, but he struggled to hit for average and power in his time in Tampa and could find himself on the free-agent market this winter. In 105 games played for the Rays in 2025, Morel hit .219 (61-for-278) with 11 home runs, 33 RBI, 37 runs scored, seven stolen bases, and a 109:25 K:BB in 305 plate appearances. He was even worse in a 49-game stint with Tampa last year, going 33-for-173 (.191) with only three home runs and nine RBI in the second half of the year. There's plenty of athleticism with Morel, but he's not a great defender in the outfield and swings and misses far too often at the plate. At best, he'll latch on with another team and compete for a platoon role in 2026.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Christopher Morel (abdomen) will start in left field and bat cleanup for the Rays on Wednesday against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Kevin Gausman. Morel is returning to the starting lineup after being pulled from Sunday's series finale against his old team, the Chicago Cubs, with an abdominal contusion. The 26-year-old appeared as a pinch-hitter in Tuesday's game against Toronto and will now return to the starting nine. He has faced Gausman just twice in his career and has a solo home run. Morel's playing time has dipped in 2025, as he is rarely on the field against right-handed pitchers. The Dominican native is batting a weak .227/.293/.410 with a .703 OPS, 11 home runs, 27 RBI, and seven steals in 256 at-bats. However, he has hit .316 (6-for-19) with a homer and four RBI so far in 10 games in September.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Christopher Morel (abdomen) was forced to make an early exit during Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Morel suffered an abdominal contusion when being struck by a foul ball. As a precaution, Morel exited the game and Jake Mangum took over in left field. Before exiting, Morel went 1-for-3 with a single. Fantasy managers should consider Morel as day-to-day. It doesn't sound like this issue will force Morel onto the injured list.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Christopher Morel turned in his best performance of the season Saturday in an 11-10 loss to the Miami Marlins. Morel went 3-for-3 with two home runs, a double, four RBI, and an additional run scored. The 25-year-old ended a couple of long droughts along the way. He hadn't homered since April 24, and he hadn't even knocked in a run since April 26. Morel entered the season off back-to-back years with at least 20 homers and 60 RBI, but his playing time has dropped in 2025 as a result of his struggles. He's now hitting .222/.300/.400 with five HRs, 15 RBI, and a career-worst 35.3% strikeout rate across 150 trips to the plate. Saturday's outburst was a much-needed step in the right direction.

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, infielder/outfielder Christopher Morel and catcher Ben Rortvedt will all start on the bench for Sunday's series finale against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander Chad Patrick. Jose Caballero is starting at third and batting sixth, Travis Jankowski is in right field and batting seventh, and Danny Jansen is doing the catching and batting ninth. Caminero will take a seat despite holding a current five-game hitting streak in which he's gone 6-for-18 with a homer, three RBI, a steal and a run scored. The 21-year-old will be back in there for Tuesday's series opener against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays. Morel will sit for the second straight day against a righty and may be in a platoon in Tampa's outfield after starting the year with a poor .223/.310/.369 slash line in 103 at-bats.