Leo Jiménez designated for assignment by Marlins; Deyvison De Los Santos recalled

What happened

The Miami Marlins designated infielder Leo Jiménez for assignment and recalled Deyvison De Los Santos, MLB.com announced. An MLB.com beat reporter had noted the move a day before the announcement landed, and it arrives in the middle of a week that has kept Miami's roster office unusually busy even by September standards.

Why it matters

A designation for assignment sets a seven-day clock in motion. Under general league rules, a designated player must be traded, released, or placed on outright waivers within that window. If Jiménez clears waivers — a 48-hour process — the Marlins would have the option of outrighting him to the minors. If another club puts in a claim, he moves on. None of those outcomes have been reported; what is known is that he is no longer part of Miami's active picture.

De Los Santos arrives as the corresponding move, adding a fresh option to a club that has been leaning on its expanded September depth. The September window — which allows clubs to carry 28 active players through the end of the regular season, up from the standard 26 — creates the structural room for exactly this kind of transaction. The Marlins have been filling that room steadily.

The timing matters in context. Two days before this move, the Marlins recalled Bradley Blalock and Pauley from Triple-A Jacksonville as rosters expanded. The day before that, infielder Xavier Edwards was placed on the injured list with a sprained left thumb, with infielder Serna recalled to cover the gap. The Marlins' infield has been in near-constant motion since September 1, and the Jiménez designation is the latest adjustment in that sequence — not an isolated transaction but part of a rolling reconfiguration.

That context shapes how the De Los Santos recall reads operationally. Miami is not simply adding depth for depth's sake; it is replacing pieces that have been removed, managing an infield that looks meaningfully different than it did a week ago, and doing all of it while sitting on the wrong side of the Wild Card cut line.

Where the club stands

Miami is 71-72 (.497), third in the NL East and 14 games back of the division lead. In the Wild Card race, the Marlins rank sixth, sitting 4.0 relative to the cut line — a number that is not insurmountable in the abstract but requires the kind of consistent winning that a three-game losing streak does not suggest is currently in hand. The streak, the standings position, and the roster turbulence are all arriving at the same moment, which is either very bad luck or very September, depending on your disposition toward this franchise.

Is De Los Santos available immediately?

A recalled player is generally available as soon as the transaction processes, and nothing in MLB.com's announcement suggests otherwise. De Los Santos joins a Marlins club heading to Kauffman Stadium on Thursday, September 3, where Sandy Alcantara is the probable starter opposite Michael Wacha and the Kansas City Royals. The club then returns home to loanDepot park for a weekend series against the Chicago Cubs — Janson Junk is the probable starter Friday against Shota Imanaga, and Ryan Gusto is lined up for Saturday against Javier Assad. Three games, two opponents, and a roster that is still settling into its September shape.

What we don't know yet

The Marlins have not announced what comes next for Jiménez. The seven-day window is running, but whether he is traded, released, claimed on waivers, or outrighted to the minors has not been reported. The answer will arrive on its own schedule, and the 48-hour waiver clock means the first signal could come quickly.

The Edwards situation adds a second open thread. His sprained left thumb, reported earlier this week, has not come with a timetable for return. The Marlins have not indicated when he might be available, and his absence continues to shape how the infield is being assembled in the near term. Two roster questions, neither with a public answer yet.

It is also worth noting that the De Los Santos recall has not been accompanied by any reporting on a specific role or usage plan. How the club intends to deploy him — against right-handed pitching, against left-handed pitching, in a platoon, as a bench option — remains to be seen in the games themselves.

What to watch

The Marlins are 4.0 games outside the Wild Card cut line with September just underway, which means roster construction has moved from background noise to foreground concern. The De Los Santos recall is worth monitoring for playing time — how Miami uses him against Kansas City and then Chicago will offer the clearest early signal about his role in the final stretch.

The Jiménez situation will resolve itself by design and by deadline. A waiver claim surfaces within 48 hours; an outright assignment follows if he clears. Either way, the roster picture clarifies quickly, and the Marlins will have one fewer open question on the books.

Sandy Alcantara's Thursday start against the Royals carries its own weight. The Marlins need wins, the rotation is being asked to stabilize a club that has dropped three straight, and the upcoming home series against the Cubs will test a roster that has been reshuffled repeatedly in the span of a few days.

At 71-72, Miami is not eliminated and not comfortable. The Jiménez designation and De Los Santos recall are one set of answers to the operational questions September is asking. The schedule, the standings, and the still-unresolved Edwards timeline suggest more answers will be needed before the month is out.