Jacksonville adds Acosta, Ruiz on rehab assignments, boosts Marlins ties

Jacksonville just became a lot more than a Triple-A stop on the calendar. Esteury Ruiz and Maximo Acosta joined the Jumbo Shrimp on rehab assignments, making them the second and third Marlins to work back in Jacksonville in 2026 and instantly putting Miami’s roster math under the spotlight.

That matters because Jacksonville has already turned into the Marlins’ preferred landing spot for injured major leaguers. Kyle Stowers got there first on April 9, and last season 18 different Marlins completed rehab assignments with the Shrimp. When that many big-league names cycle through one affiliate, the nightly lineup stops being routine and starts looking like a live audition for Miami’s next move.

Ruiz is the headliner. The 27-year-old right-handed hitter and thrower from Azua, Dominican Republic, appeared in 19 major-league games with the Dodgers in 2025, then spent most of the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City and punished the Pacific Coast League. He hit .304/.412/.511 with a .923 OPS, 16 home runs, 61 RBI and 63 stolen bases in 104 games, a stat line that still screams impact speed even after the oblique setback that sidelined him. The Marlins acquired Ruiz from Los Angeles in a December trade, and he landed on the 10-day injured list on March 25 with a high-grade left oblique strain before beginning his rehab assignment in Jacksonville against Charlotte on Wednesday.

Stowers’ return has already shown how Jacksonville can be used as a controlled ramp-up rather than a detour. He is coming back from a right hamstring strain and opened his rehab assignment with the Shrimp on April 11, playing six innings in left field and going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. That line does not jump off the page, but it does show the Marlins getting live game reps without pushing him straight back into the pressure of the majors.

For Jacksonville, the benefit is obvious: the roster now carries more big-league relevance every night Ruiz and Acosta are in uniform. For Miami, it is an early-season reminder that Triple-A Jacksonville is not just a holding pattern. It is where the Marlins are testing bodies, timing and readiness, and where the next roster decision can start taking shape before anyone heads back to Miami.