Marlins Promote 2023 Draft Pick Ahead of Key Game 2 vs Phillies
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The Miami Marlins lost a tough one against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday by the final score of 6-5. After four runs came across to score for the Phillies in the seventh inning, whipping away the Marlins' lead, they decided to make a change to the bullpen for the remainder of the series and potentially the 2026 season.
Reliever Cade Gibson was on the hook for the loss in Miami on Friday, allowing all four of those seventh-inning runners to come across. His final line score for the game was 1.2 innings of work, allowing five hits, four runs, one walk, and one strikeout.
Gibson's ERA jumped to 21.60 for the season, and it was enough for the Marlins front office to make a change at the expense of the struggling reliever. Officially reported on Saturday morning, Miami will have a new bullpen arm for the rest of the series against Philadelphia.
Marlins Recall Josh Ekness from Triple-A
Miami has officially recalled 2023 12th-round pick Josh Ekness to the Major League roster and optioned Gibson to Triple-A. Ekness hasn't had the most success through nine games in Triple-A this season, posting a 5.68 ERA in 12.2 innings of work.
However, in his minor league career, he's posted a 3.30 ERA in four seasons. He hasn't gotten the most work in Triple-A in two seasons, posting just over 12 innings of work, but the front office sees potential in him to help right away.
The Miami bullpen has been shaky at times this season, but the starting pitching, for the most part, has done well. If Ekness can arrive and help the cause right away, it should work out nicely for the Marlins as they try to claw back into first place in the NL East standings.
The Marlins have been a pleasant surprise this season so far as they continue to ride with the underdog narrative. Going into the second game of the four-game series with the Phillies, Miami sits in second place and holds a 15-17 record.
Major League Baseball has several teams hovering around the .500 mark already this season, with some expected to break through and others expected to fall behind. If the bullpen can become more consistent, with the help of Ekness, the Marlins could be that team that breaks above the plateau.
Typically, when relievers get recalled, they make their debuts quickly, so Marlins fans should keep an eye out for Ekness running out of the bullpen on Saturday.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.