Report: Marlins' Starling Marte Diagnosed with Broken Hand After Injury vs. Cubs

Wednesday's 5-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of their National League Wild Card Series didn't bring all good news for the Miami Marlins. 

Center fielder Starling Marte exited the game in the top of the ninth inning when he was hit by a Dan Winkler pitch. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers, he suffered a non-displaced fracture of his left pinkie.

However, Passan wrote "There is optimism that Marte could continue playing through it."

Monte Harrison entered the game for Marte as a pinch runner and finished in center field.

He is a candidate to start Thursday's Game 2 if Marte does not play through it, although he slashed just .170/.235/.255 with one home run and three RBI in 32 games this season and is nowhere near the same offensive threat as Marte would be for the rest of the series.

Miami acquired Marte from the Arizona Diamondbacks via trade in August, and he helped stabilize its offense and lead it to the playoffs with four home runs, 13 RBI and five steals in 28 games.

He was also excellent in Arizona this year and slashed .311/.384/.443 in 33 games.

This is also the second consecutive game Marte had to leave because he was hit by a pitch. In Sunday's regular-season finale against the New York Yankees, he left after Clarke Schmidt hit him with a pitch on the brim of his helmet.

Miami will face NL Cy Young candidate Yu Darvish in Game 2, so runs may be limited if Marte cannot play.