Marlins Face Uncertainty After Pete Fairbanks Injury, Ninth-Inning Blowup

Pete Fairbanks’ injury raises immediate questions for the Miami Marlins' bullpen after a ninth-inning collapse against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Miami Marlins pitcher Pete Fairbanks. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Miami Marlins definitely wish they could do last night over again.

Up 4-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning against the mighty and feared Los Angeles Dodgers, the Marlins appeared to be on the verge of a needed series-opening victory. In order to pull off such a feat, manager Clayton McCullough sent out closer Pete Fairbanks to finish the job.

And, oh, how that went wrong in a hurry.

Fairbanks walked the first two hitters he faced before forcing Miguel Rojas to pop out on a bunt. With one out and runners on first and second, Shohei Ohtani stepped up to the dish and proceeded to do what Rojas could not: make Fairbanks pay. He drove a slider that probably caught a little too much of the plate 109.5 mph down the right-field line for a double, scoring one run and putting two in scoring position with just one away in the inning.

The top of the order was due up. The Marlins, it’s safe to say, were in trouble.

Pete Fairbanks exited tonight's game with an "unusual sensation" in his right thumb, per Clayton McCullough.

Will be evaluated further. pic.twitter.com/X52R30zSbx

— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) April 28, 2026

Everyone knows how this story ends, though it came with a macabre twist that spelled extra doom. After the Ohtani double, Fairbanks threw three straight balls to Freddie Freeman, which led to McCullough deciding to just intentionally walk him.

None of the pitches were very close, and something was clearly wrong with Fairbanks. The right-hander was forced to exit the game, with what McCullough described as an “unusual sensation” in his right thumb.

Tyler Phillips came in out of the bullpen to try and save the game, though it was too late. Kyle Tucker stepped up to the dish and singled home two runs, giving the Dodgers a 5-4 win over a Marlins squad that just minutes before had believed it was about to take down the reigning two-time champions.

Oh, baseball, how cruel you can be.

Fairbanks’ Health Looms Large After Collapse

Miami Marlins relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks. | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Of course, the most pressing matter from last night’s defeat isn’t necessarily the loss itself but the injury situation with Fairbanks.

No official word has come from the Marlins about how serious the ailment is, so no assumptions can be made about how long or how short Fairbanks’ time away from the mound will be. In either case, any time without him in the bullpen is a matter of considerable concern, as he’s one of the anchors of the pitching staff, even with his inflated 10.00 ERA.

The other area of worry lies in Fairbanks’ control. Coming into the contest against Los Angeles, he’d only walked one batter all year. He proceeded to allow three free passes to the Dodgers. Perhaps that was due to whatever is going on with his thumb. If not, then the Marlins have to hope that the lack of command was just a one-off that will be solved when he arrives back on the rubber — whenever that may be.