With Marlins sending Elieser Hernandez to minors, Braxton Garrett on cusp of MLB return
Changes are happening in the Miami Marlins’ rotation.
The Marlins on Saturday optioned right-handed pitcher Elieser Hernandez to Triple A Jacksonville after his worst outing of the season — eight earned runs on eight hits (including a career-high-tying four home runs) over 4 1/3 innings — in a 15-6 blowout by the San Francisco Giants on Friday.
His replacement hasn’t officially been announced, but all signs point to Braxton Garrett joining the rotation on Sunday for the Marlins’ 1:40 p.m. series finale against the Giants at loanDepot park considering Garrett is already in Miami and the Marlins don’t have a starter lined up for that day. The club’s other option, depending on how Saturday’s game unfolds, is to go with a bullpen day if enough relievers are available.
Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Garrett, who is currently with the club on the taxi squad, “is definitely an option.”
“You guys see what happens and you’ve been around long enough,” Mattingly said. “Nothing official at this point.”
Garrett, the Marlins’ first-round pick in 2016 and the organization’s No. 21 ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, made his MLB debut in the shortened 2020 season and overall has pitched in 10 MLB games (nine starts). He has a 5.18 ERA with 40 strikeouts against 25 walks over 41 2/3 innings. Opponents have hit .311 against him in the big leagues.
The 24-year-old lefty has a 3.45 ERA in six minor-league starts this season — five with Triple A Jacksonville and one on a rehab assignment with Single A Jupiter. He was sidelined for about two-and-a-half weeks with a left shoulder injury.
In his most recent start, his only start in Triple A since the injury, Garrett threw five scoreless innings while giving up just one hit and striking out three on May 29. He was removed from the game after 55 pitches but said Saturday that he feels comfortable going at least 75 pitches at this point.
Garrett was originally scheduled to start for Jacksonville on Saturday but instead found himself flying to Miami from Norfolk, Virginia, to be on call for Sunday.
“That’s just the nature of the business,” Garrett said. “I just try my best to stay ready up there. I was excited for my start against Norfolk, but when the manager calls and tells you you’re going up, obviously I’m happy about that. You just have to go with what’s given to you.”
As for Hernandez, the Marlins hope the trip down to the minor leagues will give him the chance to reset.
The 27-year-old righty has a 6.75 ERA over 48 innings in 11 appearances (nine starts) this season while allowing an MLB-leading 18 home runs that have accounted for 25 of the 40 runs he has surrendered.
“This has been building,” Mattingly said. “He hasn’t been able to gain any traction over the course of the season. We felt like the best thing for him and us in the long run is to get him down, get him reset, let him get refocused. Continue to work on things without the pressure necessarily of being in a big-league game. ... You know that you’re down there to work on something to get your rhythm back, to get your confidence back. That’s what we hope happens.”
The Marlins, a team that has been buoyed by its starting pitching over the last few years, is still looking for consistency at spots in its rotation.
The Marlins have one of MLB’s most formidable one-two punches at the top of their rotation in Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez, both of whom rank in the top five in the majors in ERA. Jesus Luzardo was steady as well before going on the injured list last month with a left forearm strain (he has yet to begin throwing). But Hernandez struggled all season and 2021 National League Rookie of the Year runner-up Trevor Rogers has been inconsistent (5.80 ERA through 10 starts).
They have Edward Cabrera in the rotation filling Luzardo’s spot and Cabrera shined with six shutout innings on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies. Garrett appears to be the short-term solution to round out the group with Hernandez sent down.
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