Miami Marlins' Rotation Still Looking for Answers After Disastrous Season Debut
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The Miami Marlins haven't found the final fit for their rotation this season, and Thursday didn't aid the effort. The Marlins designated Chris Paddack for assignment last week, and recalled the team's No. 2 prospect, Robby Snelling. After a middling yet promising opening start, Snelling suffered a UCL sprain and was sent to the injured list.
That allowed Braxton Garrett to showcase why he should stay in the major leagues, and it didn't go very well. He allowed five runs on four hits, walked five, and struck out three over 1.1 innings in his season debut in Miami's loss to Minnesota on Thursday.
The 28-year-old southpaw has shone in the big leagues at times throughout his career, but didn't begin this stint on the right foot. Despite a terrible first outing, Garrett deserves another turn in the rotation. He posted a 2.30 ERA through six starts at Triple-A Jacksonville this season, including an eight-inning no-hit complete game loss.
Braxton Garrett Deserves Another Shot in Miami
He missed all of 2025 with an elbow injury, but made seven or more starts with the Marlins from 2021-2024. Most notably, he allowed a 3.63 ERA over 47 starts with Miami from 2022 to 2023.
Ironically, Garrett never struggles with accuracy, but sure did on Thursday. His 1.6 BB/9 in 2023 was in the 97th percentile, during his most taxing professional season. The lack of control is uncharacteristic for Garrett, but he does need to figure it out quickly.
The Marlins' No. 1 farmhand, lefty Thomas White, is coming for a major league spot sooner than later. The last two starts have been blow-ups for White, which may have bought Garrett another couple of tries. If he stays in the big leagues, his next start will likely come early next week against the Atlanta Braves.
Garrett will have his work cut out for him, but he is gifted with a perfect opportunity to bounce back against an NL East rival.
To make a spot for Braxton on the active roster, Miami sent reliever Josh Ekness back to Triple-A. This will be his second stint in Jacksonville this season, but he's pitched much better with the Marlins. The 24-year-old has a 5.68 ERA over 12 innings and nine games at Triple-A, while he allowed just one run over 5.1 innings for Miami.
The Marlins have the sixth best bullpen ERA in baseball this season, and Ekness has contributed to that well. If he continues to pitch well, he'll surely get another shot this season, but unfortunately became collateral damage.
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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.