Latest Pete Fairbanks Injury Update Not What Fans Were Looking For
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Pete Fairbanks left Monday night's loss early against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a reported "unusual sensation" in his right thumb, and things haven't gotten better.
Miami Marlins beat writer Isaac Azout reported that Fairbanks will be placed on the injured list due to nerve irritation. Cade Gibson is being recalled to take his place on the 26-man roster.
The Marlins' closer has been up and down this season, but has been disastrous this month. He's allowed 10 runs over six innings, nine of which came in three separate outings. On Monday night, he walked three, allowed a hit, and threw just nine of his 23 pitches for strikes.
He allowed three earned runs in the bottom of the ninth, and the Dodgers earned the victory. Entering Tuesday night, Miami's bullpen owns the sixth-best ERA in the National League, but still hasn't gotten Fairbanks best.
The longtime Tampa Bay Rays reliever and three-year closer signed a one-year $13 million contract with the Marlins over the offseason, making him the highest-paid pitcher on the team, for good reason.
He owns a career 3.41 ERA and 95 saves, which is tied for 15th among active pitchers. There is no timeline yet for Fairbanks, but he can certainly pitch well once he's healthy. He's posted three blow-up outings this month, but has an elite ceiling and fantastic floor, which will be a strong asset in the Marlins bullpen down the stretch.
The Miami Marlins’ Plug-and-Play Reliever Is a Great Asset
Also in Azout's report, Miami will recall LHP Cade Gibson once the transactions are made. The southpaw spent his first season in the MLB last season and dominated out of the Marlins pen. He posted a 2.63 ERA over 44 games and 54.2 innings.
Even though he began the season with Triple-A Jacksonville, the domination continued. He posted a 2.63 ERA in 13.2 innings with a 0.73 WHIP. If he can continue this level of production at the Major League level, the strong Miami bullpen will only improve.
Gibson throws six different pitches over 9% of the time, but prioritizes his curveball and sinker, which produce a lot of ground balls. His 51.9 GB% last season was in the 88th percentile in MLB. Even once Fairbanks returns, Gibson can be a great impact reliever for the Marlins.
This is his opportunity to try and stick in the big leagues, and he'll certainly have a long leash.
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Jeffrey is a sports writer located in Louisville, Kentucky, with a passion for sports, writing, and storytelling. He has hundreds of published articles across various platforms, including Kentucky Today, The Baptist Courier, FanSided, and more. Jeffrey is a senior at Indiana University Southeast pursuing a B.S. in Journalism/Media with a Minor in Writing. He has a beautiful wife, dog, and firstborn child on the way.