Marlins lose Perez for eight weeks. And more roster moves; Sherman sells stake
Marlins pitcher Eury Perez will miss eight weeks with a leg injury, a major blow to a Marlins rotation that recently lost elite prospect Robby Snelling to Tommy John surgery.
Perez on Friday was placed on the 15-day injured list with what the team called a right gracilis strain, an injury sustained during Wednesday’s 2-1 loss in Toronto. The gracilis is a thin inner-thigh muscle that runs from the pubic bone to the knee. Imaging testing performed in New York City on Thursday revealed the injury.
The Marlins temporarily filled his roster spot by promoting reliever Josh Ekness, who allowed two hits and a run in 5 1/3 innings over six appearances for the Marlins this season, his first action in the big leagues. He has a 4.41 ERA in 11 games at Triple A Jacksonville this season, with 29 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings.
The Marlins haven’t said who will take Perez’s next turn in the rotation on Tuesday at Washington.
Max Meyer, Tyler Phillips and Janson Junk were scheduled to pitch in the three-game series against the Mets, a series which started Friday night at Citi Field. And Sandy Alcantara is set to pitch Monday’s opener of the Nationals series.
With the Marlins needing a starter for Tuesday’s game, the team could promote Ryan Gusto (4-2, 4.01 ERA), Braxton Garrett (0-2, 2.30), Dax Fulton (2-3, 6.17) or Bradley Blaylock (1-4, 5.44) from Triple A. Miami also could consider promoting rising prospect Karson Milbrandt, who has been exceptional (4-1, 1.06 ERA in Double A), though the team ideally would like to see him make a few more starts in the minors. That decision is pending.
Perez’s injury happened during one of his best starts of the season; he had nine strikeouts in four scoreless innings when he began feeling a tightness in his leg before the fifth inning.
“It was very painful,” he said Wednesday. “I knew I was not going to be able to go out there, and that was the same thought from our coaches, and we decided to go inside and just take a look at it.”
It’s the second major injury for Perez, who missed the 2024 season after Tommy John surgery performed early that April.
Perez has had an uneven start to the season, with a 3-6 record and 4.60 ERA in an NL-leading 12 starts, compared with 7-6 and a 4.25 ERA in 20 starts last season. Perez pitched very well in his last two starts but overall has allowed 79 base-runners with 72 strikeouts in 62 ⅔ innings.
The Marlins made two other roster moves Friday, activating third baseman Leo Jimenez from the injured list and sending Graham Pauley to Triple A Jacksonville.
Jimenez, who had been sidelined since May 21 with a concussion, is hitting .227, with a .337 on base average, in 18 games, with 10 hits (nine singles and a double) and an RBI in 52 plate appearances. He has started seven games at third base, three games at second base, one at shortstop and four as a designated hitter.
Pauley began the season with the Marlins but struggled badly offensively and was demoted earlier this month, before returning to the big league team after Jimenez was sidelined. Pauley went 1 for 10 during his most recent stint and is now hitting .165 (.211) in 33 games and 85 at-bats this season, with one homer and nine RBI.
Sherman sells stake in team
Owner Bruce Sherman recently sold 15% of the franchise to two families with residences in South Florida, a source confirmed. Sportico first reported the transaction.
The Marlins declined to disclose the buyers. And unlike the Heat and Dolphins, the Marlins do not identify any of their minority owners; a source said that group includes about 15 people.
Nothing changes with regard to Sherman running the team; he’s still what MLB calls the “control person.” The cash infusion will help pay off a portion of the team’s debt and give the Marlins more money in the coffers with portent of MLB instituting a salary cap and floor in 2027 (if owners have the intestinal fortitude to lock out players next year as long as it takes to get this done).
MLB on Thursday proposed a salary cap floor of $171 million next season, which would require the Marlins to raise their payroll by more than $70 million.
Sherman and his group bought the team in 2017 for $1.2 billion. This deal to sell 15 percent valued the franchise at $1.55 billion, though the Marlins privately view team’s worth as higher because that number was based on purchasing a minority interest without decision-making power.
Though everything in sports is for sale in one way or another, Sherman plans to continue owning the team, an associate said Friday.
This and that
▪ Former Oregon State All American shortstop Aiva Arquette, the Marlins’ first round pick (seventh overall) in last July’s draft, was promoted to Double A Pensacola last week and had a homer and four hits in his first 10 at-bats.
Arquette played just 41 games at High A Beloit (27 last season, 14 this season) before the jump to Double A.
The Marlins are playing Arquette at shortstop, with third base an option if they feel the need him there. MLB.com ranks him the 35th best prospect in baseball with this scouting report:
“Extremely physical for a shortstop at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Arquette hits the ball harder than almost anyone at his position. His right-handed stroke features plenty of bat speed and leverage, and he has a history of driving balls in the air (though he didn’t do so as easily in his first taste of pro ball).”
▪ The early returns are in for prospects acquired from the Yankees in the Ryan Weathers trade, and they’re promising.
Outfielder Dillon Lewis, who the Marlins view as the prospect with the highest ceiling in that trade, has 11 homers and 30 RBI in 43 games (159 at bats) at Double A Pensacola. He needs to get on base more (.226 average, .313 on base) and strike out a bit less (55 in 179 plate appearances) but the power numbers are intoxicating.
Infielder Juan Matheus was promoted to Double-A Pensacola, after hitting .261 (.352 on base) with seven homers and 29 RBI in 42 games at High A Beloit.
Outfielder Brendan Jones has six homers and 18 RBI in 43 games at Double A Pensacola, with a .231 average but a .344 on-base average.
Dylan Jasso - who can play first, second, third base - is the one player struggling among the four prospects acquired for Weathers; he has a .187 batting average (.301 on base).
This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 5:22 PM.
