Marlins announce Giancarlo Stanton out for rest of season

NL MVP candidate Giancarlo Stanton will not play the rest of the season, the Marlins announced Wednesday.

Stanton "suffered facial lacerations requiring stitches, multiple facial fractures and dental damage" after being hit in the face by a Mike Fiers pitch last Thursday. The Marlins' right fielder posted a photo to Instagram of the pitch's bloody result and his swollen face about a few days after the injury.

"Making huge progress!" Stanton wrote in the Instagram post, "Want to thank everyone who has played a part in my recovery process. Your kind messages, thoughts and prayers have meant the world to me. Pushing forward."

The Marlins are effectively out of the playoff hunt for 2014, trailing the Pirates by seven games in the NL Wild Card race (and behind two other teams) with 12 games to play. What is left to see is if missing the final three weeks will hamper Stanton's MVP candidacy (with a league-leading 37 home runs and .950 OPS) against fellow frontrunners Clayton Kershaw and Andrew McCutchen.