Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett was seemingly poised to be activated from the injured checklist to start out Sunday’s recreation towards the Braves, however MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola was amongst these to notice that the southpaw suffered a setback in his rehab on Saturday that can carry his 2024 season to an in depth. Garrett reportedly “felt one thing” behind his elbow after throwing a bullpen session on Friday, and the lefty is now set to bear testing and switch his consideration in direction of a wholesome return to the mound in 2025.
The 2024 season has been one to overlook for Garrett. The 27-year-old southpaw appeared poised to enter the season as one of many membership’s most promising starters after pitching to a stable 3.63 ERA (124 ERA+) with a near-matching 3.64 FIP in a mixed 247 2/3 innings of labor for the Marlins over the earlier two seasons. Sadly, no such profitable marketing campaign got here to fruition because the lefty handled shoulder points that sidelined him for the primary six weeks of the season.
Upon returning to the membership’s rotation on Could 12, Garrett’s efficiency was blended with a number of begins the place he was shelled regardless of sturdy peripheral numbers with occasional dominant performances blended in akin to his four-hit, complete-game shutout of the Diamondbacks in his third begin of the yr. General, the lefty pitched to a lackluster 5.35 ERA in 37 innings of labor throughout seven begins this yr regardless of implausible peripheral numbers, together with a 2.5% stroll charge and a 51.3% floor ball charge that gave him a 3.82 FIP and a 3.46 SIERA for his work this yr.
It’s doable that his outcomes would’ve ultimately caught as much as his sturdy peripherals had he been capable of pitch extra this season, however the lefty was positioned on the injured checklist in late June resulting from elbow soreness that was ultimately recognized as a forearm flexor pressure. That proved to be his remaining begin within the majors this yr, although he started a rehab project earlier this month and had carved up minor league opponents with 15 strikeouts throughout 10 2/3 innings of labor earlier than struggling Friday’s setback, suggesting his repertoire was in a comparatively good place regardless of the lengthy layoff.
Sadly, that layoff now figures to get even longer. Whereas the outcomes of Garrett’s testing haven’t but been made clear, the membership is now trying in direction of the 2025 season for the lefty’s return to motion. With a 57-97 report, it’s been a disastrous season in Miami however the membership does have some causes to count on enchancment subsequent yr, akin to the superb begin Connor Norby has gotten off to since being acquired from the Orioles on the commerce deadline again in July in addition to the returns of Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, Jesus Luzardo, and now Garrett from the injured checklist.
With 4 above-average beginning pitchers set to return to motion subsequent yr after making anyplace from zero to 12 begins for the membership this season, it’s not arduous to think about Miami turning issues round in comparatively brief order if they will enhance an offense that has few long-term items in place apart from Norby, Xavier Edwards, Jake Burger and maybe Kyle Stowers.
