Garrett’s shoulder remains a concern
JUPITER
Opening Day is still about a month away, but the Marlins might be preparing to be without one of their top starting pitchers to begin the season.
Left-hander Braxton Garrett, whose throwing progression was slowed down early in spring training due to shoulder soreness, threw a bullpen session Monday, and manager Skip Schumaker said Garrett is “gonna have a couple more bullpens” before being stretched out and appearing in spring training games.
“I’m sure you can think about where that is heading,” Schumaker told reporters. “The reality is he’s going to need a couple more bullpens. You need four or five before you get an outing out there . ... We’ll see where he’s at, but he’s going to need a few more bullpens. He felt really good coming out of it today.”
Earlier in camp, Garrett said his shoulder wasn’t bouncing back as well as usual following throwing sessions.
“We’re on the come up now,” Garrett said Feb. 17. “It just has taken a little longer.”
Garrett, 26, began the 2023 season as Miami’s long reliever but ended up as one of the team’s most consistent starters.
In 31 games (30 starts), he went 9-7 with a 3.66 ERA and set career highs in innings pitched (1592⁄3) and strikeouts (156) while holding opponents to a .250 batting average. He gave up 1.15 walks and hits per inning pitched.
Garrett pitched at least five innings in 23 of his 30 starts and held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in 16 of those 23 outings.
Should Garrett not be ready to go when the Marlins begin the season March 28 in Miami against the Pittsburgh Pirates, that will be another void the team will need to fill — albeit temporarily — in its rotation. The Marlins are already without ace Sandy Alcantara as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
Jesus Luzardo and Eury Perez are both essentially locks to make the rotation. Beyond them, Miami’s main options are righty Edward Cabrera and lefties A.J. Puk, Ryan Weathers and Trevor Rogers. Prospect Max Meyer could be an option as well, but he is returning after missing all of 2023 following Tommy John surgery. Swingmen Bryan Hoeing and George Soriano are other contenders further down the depth chart.
Puk, who was Miami’s closer to start last season but is being stretched out this spring, is scheduled to start for the Marlins on Tuesday against the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie.