Braxton Garrett to miss 2025 season following UCL revision surgery

[Kevin Barral]

After being limited by arm injuries for most of the 2024 season, Garrett will be out for another year while rehabbing from a left elbow procedure.

Starting rotation depth continues to be a concern for the 2025 Miami Marlins. On Wednesday, SportsGrid's Craig Mish broke the news that left-handed pitcher Braxton Garrett has undergone left elbow UCL revision surgery with an internal brace and will miss the entire season. The surgery was performed on December 16 by Dr. Keith Meister, adds MLB.com's Christina De Nicola.

Garrett, 27, is coming off a 2024 season where he only made seven starts, posting a 5.35 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 8.27 K/9 and 0.97 BB/9 through 37 innings pitched. The start of his season was delayed until May 12 as he had suffered a left shoulder impingement. In June, he went down with a left forearm flexor strain. After completing several rehab starts to try to make a late-season comeback, he suffered a setback and remained on the IL.

In early December prior to the Winter Meetings, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix told Fish On First that he was "hopeful and optimistic" about Garrett being healthy entering 2025. He had the surgery less than two weeks later.

A former first-round draft pick of the Marlins, Garrett has dealt with frequent injuries during his career, including Tommy John surgery in 2017. His best season came in 2023 when he provided 159 ⅔ innings and made a postseason start; in his four other MLB seasons combined, he has totaled only 166 ⅔ innings.

Meister is the same surgeon who operated on the injured elbows of fellow Marlins Sandy Alcantara (October 2023) and Eury Pérez (April 2024).

With the start of spring training barely a month away, the only clear-cut starters for the Marlins are Sandy Alcantara, Ryan Weathers and Edward Cabrera. Candidates for the two other spots who are already on the 40-man roster include Max Meyer, Valente Bellozo, Adam Mazur and Dax Fulton. Among non-roster invitees, Bendix previously mentioned Robby Snelling as a name the organization is high on. Another NRI, Freddy Tarnok, will also reportedly get a chance to prove himself as a starter.

The Marlins have not yet signed anybody to a fully guaranteed major league deal this offseason. Per Mish, they are evaluating the remaining options on the free agent market. Jack Flaherty is the top starting pitcher still unsigned, though it is far more likely that the Marlins go with a lesser name who's willing to settle for a one-year deal.

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[Hans Herrera]

Just said on X: Quintana, Stripling or Sasaki.

[rurrusuno]

Wow, this isn't good for his rehab progress. Another setback for Braxton Garrett. It's probably safe that Max Meyer will get that 4th spot based on seniority. Now the question is, who will get that 5th spot?

It's definitely up for grabs as it could be anybody's. My guess would be Valente Bellozo since we've seen a good look at his starts last season, but it's nearly an entirely new coaching staff so they may have a different viewpoint on who earns that rotation slot. 

[2qbn]

That stinks for him and the team. I do like this guarantees Max breaks camp with the squad. I'm pulling for him.

[2qbn]

2 hours ago, Hans Herrera said:

Just said on X: Quintana, Stripling or Sasaki.

Sasaki? That would be one heck of a Kershaw-like curve ball. I haven't heard anything with him and Marlins and that it was between Dodgers and Padres, which makes sense. Asian players love playing on the west coast if they can. Flights home and for family aren't as punishing.

[Ely Sussman]

2 hours ago, Hans Herrera said:

Just said on X: Quintana, Stripling or Sasaki.

I had completely forgotten about Stripling. Very weird 2024 for him, allowing a ton of hits but hardly any homers. He has never come close to completing a full season as a starter. At least he'd be cheap!

[Ely Sussman]

2 hours ago, 2qbn said:

I do like this guarantees Max breaks camp with the squad. I'm pulling for him.

I would call it probable rather than a guarantee. Max was lousy in every aspect during the second half of the season. He has to arrive at camp showing some sort of improvement, whether it's his command, fastball velo or changeup consistency (hopefully all of those things), otherwise the results aren't going to be much better.

I have faith in him, but he'll still have to earn it.

[BMK3]

As sorry as I am for Mr. Garrett this just does not come as a surprise.  I had my fingers crossed but never expected him to be able to pitch this year.  Very little was done to address his issues last year except hope they went away.  The surprise would have been that Bendix did something to prepare for this eventuality.

[Russell]

Where's Tyler Kolek when you need him?  I hear Mike Hill is as high on him as he's ever been.

[Hans Herrera]

7 hours ago, Ely Sussman said:

I had completely forgotten about Stripling. Very weird 2024 for him, allowing a ton of hits but hardly any homers. He has never come close to completing a full season as a starter. At least he'd be cheap!

It all depends on what would be the approach the FO wants to take.

Quintana would be the “expensive” one, I guess closer to $10M the season.

Sasaki is a pipe dream but from what I’ve read from MLB Trade Rumors, he “doesn’t care about the size of the market” nor “any geographical preference”. So, why not go after him?

Stripling is a similar case as the article about Jakob Junis. He can start, relief, give you 15 decent outings and can be swapped mid season if doing well. Did you notice the difference between his ERA and FIP last season? The latter was very similar to Junis’. And yes, he will also be the “cheap” approach, something Sherman loves.

 

[Slacker Mills]

Let's get this right. Knowing that the team would be missing a starter in Garrett, knowing that the Luzardo was likely to be one of the best values out there at $6 million, knowing that the team had to spend $105 million in payroll, they STILL traded Luzardo for nothing?

[Ely Sussman]

2 hours ago, Slacker Mills said:

Let's get this right. Knowing that the team would be missing a starter in Garrett, knowing that the Luzardo was likely to be one of the best values out there at $6 million, knowing that the team had to spend $105 million in payroll, they STILL traded Luzardo for nothing?

The way this offseason has played out suggests to me that they aren't sweating about the threat of a greivance. Maybe they feel confident in justifying the dollars they've spent off the field. More likely, they're betting that a potential greivance will simply be dropped during the next round of CBA negotiations, which are less than two years away.

[Slacker Mills]

30 minutes ago, Ely Sussman said:

The way this offseason has played out suggests to me that they aren't sweating about the threat of a greivance. Maybe they feel confident in justifying the dollars they've spent off the field. More likely, they're betting that a potential greivance will simply be dropped during the next round of CBA negotiations, which are less than two years away.

And with all the trades for prospects, we can't point to a single sure-fire major leaguer in the bunch.

[THOMAS JOSEPH]

This is unfortunate news. Cabrera is needed more than ever. As with our young hitters, there are clear opportunities for the young pitchers. As a backup, perhaps Oller is still available. Lol. 

[rurrusuno]

10 hours ago, Russell said:

Where's Tyler Kolek when you need him?  I hear Mike Hill is as high on him as he's ever been.

If it weren’t for Josh Booty, he’d easily be the biggest draft bust in Fish history.

[1993 fan from start]

19 hours ago, rurrusuno said:

Wow, this isn't good for his rehab progress. Another setback for Braxton Garrett. It's probably safe that Max Meyer will get that 4th spot based on seniority. Now the question is, who will get that 5th spot?

It's definitely up for grabs as it could be anybody's. My guess would be Valente Bellozo since we've seen a good look at his starts last season, but it's nearly an entirely new coaching staff so they may have a different viewpoint on who earns that rotation slot. 

im more higer on Valente Bellozo getting 4th spot .

[rurrusuno]

1 hour ago, Slacker Mills said:

And with all the trades for prospects, we can't point to a single sure-fire major leaguer in the bunch.

This is what frustrates me too whenever we trade for prospects. We hardly have one that suddenly breaks out unlike for other teams.

[1993 fan from start]

 i'm still wish Marlins go after Brandon Pfaadt as a innging  backup pitcher.   he not all that good but is a inning pitcher  it a wish if price not high .

then Emmett Olson and Jacob Miller  from minor should be giving shot in spring training  from minors.  

 

[One Regend]

5 hours ago, rurrusuno said:

If it weren’t for Josh Booty, he’d easily be the biggest draft bust in Fish history.

At least Josh Booty made it to the majors. Tyler Kolek never even sniffed AA.