Miami Marlins Pitcher Braxton Garrett Scratched From Scheduled Start on Sunday

Braxton Garrett was initially scheduled to start the Miami Marlins' game against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, but the lefty is dealing with elbow discomfort.

Jun 17, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Braxton Garrett (29) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at loanDepot Park. / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Marlins left-handed pitcher Braxton Garrett has been scratched from his scheduled start against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, MLB.com's Christina De Nicola and others reported Saturday afternoon.

Garrett threw a bullpen session Friday and is now dealing with elbow discomfort. He is set to undergo further evaluation later on Saturday.

Scratching a pitcher a full day before his scheduled start is hardly ever a good sign, although it remains to be seen if Garrett will miss additional time.

If Garrett does end up getting sidelined long term, he wouldn't be alone. The Marlins already have six starting pitchers on the injured list: Sandy Alcantara, Jesús Luzardo, Sixto Sánchez, Edward Cabrera, Ryan Weathers and Eury Pérez.

Garrett has already missed a large chunk of 2024, not making his regular season debut until May 12. He had been suffering from a shoulder injury since the very start of Spring Training.

Since working his way through a minor league rehab assignment and eventually returning to the big leagues, Garrett has made seven starts for the Marlins. He is 2-2 with a 5.35 ERA, 1.189 WHIP, 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings and a 0.1 WAR.

Garrett tossed a complete game shutout against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 24, helping him post a far more respectable 3.62 ERA over his last five appearances. The southpaw gave up just one earned run in 6.0 innings in his most recent outing against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.

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.

Garrett started Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, allowing two earned runs in 3.0 innings of work.

The 26-year-old will be arbitration eligible for the first time this coming offseason. A severe elbow injury wouldn't only spoil Garrett's 2024 season – it could also cost him dearly when winter comes around.

Of course, that is pure speculation, since the results of Garrett's imaging have yet to be released.

The Marlins also have not yet announced Garrett's replacement for Sunday's series finale against the Mariners.

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