De La Cruz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

De La Cruz is 0-for-7 with three strikeouts and will head to the bench for the second time through the first four contests of the season. Jesus Sanchez will start in left field and bat sixth Sunday.

De La Cruz is absent from the Marlins' lineup Friday against the Mets, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

EDGE Analysis

Manager Skip Schumaker said prior to Opening Day that De La Cruz would be in line for most of the starts in left field, but he'll be on the bench for the second game even with the club facing a lefty. Yuli Gurriel will play first base, with Garrett Cooper moving to designated hitter and Jorge Soler going to the outfield.

De La Cruz is starting in left field and batting seventh for the Marlins on Thursday versus the Mets.

EDGE Analysis

Manager Skip Schumaker intimated Wednesday that De La Cruz would likely get the bulk of the reps in left field in the early going, and it is indeed the right-handed hitter in left for the opener even with Max Scherzer toeing the rubber. Jesus Sanchez will come off the bench.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said Wednesday that he expects De La Cruz to receive the bulk of the reps in the third outfield spot alongside Jazz Chisholm (arm) and Avisail Garcia to begin the season, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Jorge Soler may also mix into the corner outfield on the days he doesn't serve as a designated hitter, but De La Cruz and Garcia otherwise look to have the edge on playing time in left or right field over Sanchez. Even though Sanchez bats from the left side, Schumaker doesn't envision the righty-hitting De La Cruz filling the short side of a platoon, at least early on in the campaign. The 26-year-old De La Cruz hit just .252 with a .725 OPS in 115 games with Miami in 2022, but he ranked in the 90th percentile or higher in several metrics that measure hard contact. De La Cruz certainly has the talent to be a fantasy-relevant outfielder in 2023, but he will need to get off to a good start to keep receiving regular playing time in the outfield.

There is "very strong sentiment" toward including both De La Cruz and Jesus Sanchez on the Marlins' Opening Day roster, Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald report.

EDGE Analysis

Sanchez was already considered a lock since he's out of options, but De La Cruz has been viewed as being on the roster bubble since he does have an option left. However, it would appear the Marlins are likely to keep both and leave one of Yuli Gurriel or Jose Iglesias off the roster. De La Cruz finished with a huge September in 2022 and put up impressive batted ball data all year, making him an intriguing late-round fantasy option. Where De La Cruz plays remains to be seen, but he's capable at all three outfield spots and could also see time at designated hitter.

De La Cruz could be squeezed off the Opening Day roster after the Marlins signed Jose Iglesias and Yuli Gurriel, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The two veterans seem assured of spots, likely leaving just one spot for either De La Cruz or Jesus Sanchez, and unfortunately for the former, Sanchez is out of minor-league options while De La Cruz isn't. The 26-year-old's best chance of breaking camp with a big-league assignment might come if the Marlins decide they need extra outfield depth to help ease Jazz Chisholm into his new duties in center field. De La Cruz has shown some power this spring, going 7-for-27 with five extra-base hits (two doubles, two triple and a homer), but he also sports a 0:8 BB:K, which won't help his case.

De La Cruz went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Monday's 4-0 win over Atlanta.

EDGE Analysis

The 25-year-old launched his 13th homer of the year off Bryce Elder in the third inning to close the book on the scoring for the night. De La Cruz has been one of the hottest hitters in the majors over the last couple weeks, slashing .436/.448/.800 over his last 14 games with four homers and 16 RBI, and the late-season surge should give him a leg up for a starting job in the Miami outfield heading into 2023.

De La Cruz went 3-for-4 with a double and a two-run home run in Wednesday's loss against the Mets.

EDGE Analysis

De La Cruz put the Marlins up 2-0 with a homer off righty starter Taijuan Walker with two outs in the fourth inning. The outfielder has recorded six doubles and two home runs over his last four games. In addition, the 25-year-old has a .426 average over 54 at-bats in his last 16 contests.

De La Cruz went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a solo home run and two runs scored in Saturday's 4-1 victory over the Nationals.

EDGE Analysis

De La Cruz led off the fourth inning with a home run to give the Marlins a 3-1 lead. The outfielder has hit four home runs and recorded 14 RBI during his last 10 games, recording a .389 average and .806 slugging percentage over 36 at-bats.

De La Cruz went 2-for-5 with a grand slam in Monday's 10-3 win over the Cubs.

EDGE Analysis

De La Cruz hammered a 398-foot grand slam in the third inning. Over his last six games, he's gone deep three times while driving in 12 runs. The 25-year-old outfielder is slashing .219/.267/.369 with 21 extra-base hits and 33 RBI through 296 plate appearances.