Miami Marlins' Braxton Garrett, Out Since June, Set For Minor League Rehab Start

Braxton Garrett has been on the injured list since June 23 with a left forearm flexor strain, but the southpaw is working his way back to the Miami Marlins' rotation.
Jun 12, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Braxton Garrett (29) pitches against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field.
Jun 12, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Braxton Garrett (29) pitches against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
In this story:

Left-handed pitcher Braxton Garrett is scheduled to make a rehab start with Triple-A Jupiter on Thursday, Fish on First's Kevin Barral reported Tuesday.

Garrett hasn't taken the mound since June 17, as he started dealing with elbow discomfort during a bullpen session on June 21. He was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left forearm flexor strain on June 23, then moved to the 60-day injured list on July 30.

The 27-year-old southpaw, who has already thrown a bullpen session in Jupiter, will be capped at roughly 3.0 innings and 50 pitches on Thursday, per Barral.

Before he went down, Garrett was 2-2 with a 5.35 ERA, 1.189 WHIP, 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings and a 0.2 WAR on the season. He had a far more respectable 3.62 ERA over his last five appearances, however, thanks to his complete game shutout against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 24.

Garrett didn’t make his season debut until May 12 due to a shoulder issue that had been hindering him since Spring Training.

After making his big league debut in 2020 and splitting the next two seasons between Triple-A and MLB, Garrett finally came into his own in 2023. He went 9-7 with a 3.66 ERA, 1.146 WHIP, 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings and a 3.8 WAR in 31 games, helping Miami reach the postseason.

Neither Garrett nor the Marlins have enjoyed that kind of success here in 2024, considering Miami boasts the third-worst record in baseball at 51-87.

The Marlins’ rotation has been gutted beyond Garrett’s pair of long-term injuries. Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez are still working their ways back from Tommy John surgery, while Jesús Luzardo, Sixto Sánchez and Ryan Weathers are all on the 60-day injured list as well.

Weathers made a rehab start for Triple-A Jupiter on Tuesday, tossing 3.0 scoreless frames on 43 pitches, putting him on roughly the same timeline as Garrett.

Less than four weeks remain for Garrett and Weathers to return and contribute to Miami’s big league rotation.

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.


Published |Modified
Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.