Braxton Garrett Starts Marlins Spring Training with Live Batting Practice
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The first day of workouts for pitchers and catchers is a bit of a misnomer because not everyone throws the first day.
Teams like the Miami Marlins are building up their starting pitchers and relievers and looking at it over the long haul as they prepare for opening day in late March. So, pitchers are staggered, from long toss to bullpens to live batting practice, depending upon the day and how those pitchers are building up.
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For Braxton Garrett, there was no wait. The Marlins tested out the left-hander on the first day of spring training with a live batting practice session. He anticipated it during an interview with reporters on Wednesday, including Fish on First.
“I missed the butterflies, missed a little bit of the anxiety to get ready to pitch,” he said. “You know it's been a while. So, feeling it for the first time again will be a lot of fun.”
Braxton Garrett’s Long Road Back
Garrett hasn’t pitched in a regular-season game since June 17, 2024, when he pitched against the St. Louis Cardinals. He was four starts removed from throwing a “Maddux,” a complete game shutout throwing fewer than 100 pitches. The Marlins moved him to the 15-day injured list with left forearm flexor strain after his final start. He didn’t pitch again in 2024.
He didn’t make it to spring training last year, either. He underwent a revision surgery on his left ulnar collateral ligament, a version of Tommy John surgery, and missed the season. It was the second significant elbow surgery of his career after having a full Tommy John surgery in 2017 while in the minor leagues.
Garrett’s journey to the starting rotation was a long one after he was selected No. 7 overall by the Marlins in the 2016 MLB draft. It took him until 2020 to have his contract selected, and he didn’t emerge as a steady rotation option until 2022, when he made 17 starts and went 3-7 with a 3.58 ERA.
He built on that in 2023, as he went 9-7 with a 3.66 ERA in 31 games (30 starts), with 156 strikeouts and 29 walks in 159.2 innings. That’s the form he’s hoping to get back to after a year of rehab from surgery.
He’s also walking into a much different situation than 2023 and he says he’s ready to “compete” for a rotation spot. The Marlins traded both Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers, but they’re not without starting pitching options.
Those options include Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez, Max Meyer, Janson Junk, Bradley Blalock, Adam Mazur and Ryan Gusto on the depth chart. Beyond that is recent signing Chris Paddack, along with top prospects Robby Snelling and Thomas White.
