Miami Marlins Starting Pitcher's Return Is Behind Schedule
It looks like the Miami Marlins will be down a pitcher to start the 2024 season.
The Miami Marlins open their season on March 28 in a four-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Miami may enter that series without a part of the rotation that started 30 games in 2023.
Marlins pitcher Braxton Garrett is not expected to be ready according to Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker.
"I don't think you're going to see him," Schumaker said earlier this week. "Right now, Opening Day would be tough. It'd be really challenging for him to be on the roster Opening Day with no live [batting practice] yet. He's going to have three or four more of those at least, and then getting him ramped up to be on a Major League roster is going to be challenging at this point.
"I'm not going to push somebody who has a little bit of a shoulder thing going on. That was a few weeks ago. He feels great now. I think it's dangerous when you're trying to push a guy to make an Opening Day roster when he's coming off a little bit of a nagging, whatever it was, so I think he's going to throw [a] bullpen [session today], and then we'll see what happens."
The 26-year-old pitcher started last season in the bullpen. After one appearance, he started every other game he appeared in for Miami in 2023.
Garrett is getting closer to feeling normal. "Bullpens have been good," Garrett said. "I'm starting to feel normal again, shoulder's bouncing back really well, so in a much better spot than when I showed up."
