Mesa strains hamstring in long-awaited start

Víctor Víctor Mesa waited nearly 23 months to compete in something other than simulated baseball games. His return to the diamond as the second-ranked Marlins prospect has taken a detour after an inauspicious start.
The 22-year-old strained his right hamstring trying to beat out a double-play grounder in the sixth inning of the Marlins' 10-6 Grapefruit League loss to the Pirates on Sunday at LECOM Park. On Tuesday, the Marlins revealed the injury to be a Grade 1 hamstring strain and said the outfielder will head for a Minor League rehab assignment.

"A little disappointing, because we're not going to have a chance to see him through the course of camp," Marlins manager Don Mattingly told MLB.com on Tuesday. "I think on the cautious side of it, we're going to want to make sure that he's not trying to rush back. He hadn't played in 15 months. Make sure that he gets healthy. Really, that's the most important thing.
"We're going to make sure he is 100 percent and get him ready for the season, and then let him get out and play."

Mesa made his debut Saturday as a defensive replacement in Miami's spring opener and grounded out in his lone at-bat. The Cuba native got his first start Sunday as Miami's designated hitter and went 0-for-3. He reached safely on a forceout in the sixth, but pulled up after appearing to land awkwardly on first base. Mesa fell to the ground and was examined by Marlins trainers before walking off gingerly under his own power.
"Obviously, this is something you don't want for it to happen," Mesa told reporters through an interpreter. "It's something that is part of the game, though. My mind-set is to get back on the field as soon as possible.
"I was running very fast to [avoid] the double play and I felt pressure in my leg. Obviously, there was a small amount of pain, but I felt more pressure than pain in the muscle and, hopefully, I'll be back very soon."

A member of the Cuban team that competed in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Mesa and his younger brother, Victor Mesa Jr., defected last May and signed with Miami on Oct. 22. He was assigned to Double-A Jacksonville the next day. MLB.com's No. 99 overall prospect had not played since 2017, when he hit .214/.275/.286 in 20 games for the Cuban National Team in the independent Canadian-American Association.
Mesa is considered an outstanding defender with a strong arm and a plus baserunner with outstanding speed and high upside. He made his debut for Matanzas in Cuba's Serie Nacional, the nation's top league, at 16, and went 3-for-7 with two doubles in the 2017 WBC. Mesa is likely headed for Class A Advanced Jupiter or Double-A Jacksonville to start his Minor League career.