Marlins officially shut down Giancarlo Stanton for rest of season

The Miami Marlins were optimistic that slugger Giancarlo Stanton would return to the lineup this season despite suffering multiple fractures, dental damage and a laceration from being hit in the face by a Mike Fiers 88-mph pitch.

That optimism disappeared on Wednesday, however, as the team announced Stanton will be shut down for the remainder of the 2014 season.

Despite missing what will amount to 17 games, Stanton stands a pretty good chance to hold on as the NL's home run king. He'll finish the season with 37 homers. Cubs' first baseman Anthony Rizzo is second with 31 homers, but he's been slowed recently by a back issue, making it unlikely that he'll go on a major tear over Chicago's final 11 games. Lucas Duda of the Mets checks in third with 27 home runs.

The bigger question is how will this impact Stanton's MVP candidacy. The numbers are monstrous across the board. His .950 OPS is tops in the NL. His 105 RBIs currently rank second to Adrian Gonzalez. He also already established career highs in hits (155), doubles (31) and on-base percentage (.395).

Per FanGraphs, Stanton's offensive numbers combined with improved defense adds up to a career-best 6.0 WAR (wins above replacement). That ranks fifth among all position players in MLB.

The numbers and Miami's unexpected success this season should be enough to keep Stanton in the conversation, but his absence will likely open the door for two former winners — Andrew McCutchen and Buster Posey — to move up the pecking order. Both have been red hot for their respective teams over the past month. But it may be Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw who benefits the most in the voting as he also closes in on a third straight Cy Young Award.

As for the Marlins, they would obviously love to see Stanton win MVP, but shutting him down seems like the best long term move. Let him rest, let him heal, and make sure he returns at no less than one-hundred percent both physically and mentally.

According to the team, that could mean he'll receive at-bats during the instructional league in the offseason. 

When he does return, it appears he'll be wearing a custom helmet to provide better protection for his face.

Having extra protection should help ease the mental side of things, though sometimes it can be more of a hindrance than a help. Time will tell how that plays out for Stanton.

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Mark Townsend

is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813