Marlins Put Liam Hicks on 10-Day IL With Lower Back Strain, Call Up Brian Navarreto

The Miami Marlins announced that catcher/first baseman Liam Hicks has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a lower back strain, with the move listed as retroactive to June 20. The transaction means Hicks will not be available for the Marlins’ near-term games, and it forces the team to adjust its day-to-day mix behind the plate and at first base while he recovers.

To cover the spot on the active roster, Miami selected catcher Brian Navarreto from Triple-A. In practical roster terms, the call-up reflects the club’s need for additional catching depth, especially with Hicks sidelined. The Marlins’ plan also highlights how even a single IL placement can cascade into other roster moves, since it affects both the 26-man active group and the organization’s options for filling playing time.

Miami also made a corresponding move in its injured inventory. The Marlins transferred Josh Ekness from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list, a step that clears a 40-man roster spot. That procedural detail matters because Ekness’s relocation to the 60-day list can free space for a player such as Navarreto to be added without forcing Miami to make another difficult personnel choice.

This sequence underscores the balancing act that teams face once the calendar reaches the middle of the season. A lower back strain is the kind of ailment that can carry uncertainty, so clubs often manage it with an IL window long enough to protect both the player’s health and the roster’s flexibility. By listing Hicks on the 10-day IL, Miami is indicating it expects to need at least that minimum block of time to evaluate his progress and determine his return timeline.

For Navarreto, the immediate opportunity is clear: he has been brought up to provide game-ready catching support during Hicks’s absence. The next question is how Miami uses its remaining lineup pieces at catcher and first base in the interim, including whether the club leans on internal depth for starts or rotates roles based on matchup and availability.

What to watch next is Hicks’s rehab and the timing of any subsequent activation from the IL. Since the move was retroactive to June 20, the earliest realistic return window depends on when Miami designates him for activation. At the same time, Ekness’s shift to the 60-day list suggests his recovery is expected to take longer, so his status will likely remain a background factor in Miami’s roster planning for the remainder of the season.