Marlins trim roster, provide updates on injured starters

Hours before Tuesday's Grapefruit League game, Miami made its third round of cuts from big league camp. RHP Max Meyer and INF Troy Johnston headlined the flurry of roster moves. 

Meyer was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville, while Johnston, C Jhonny Pereda, INF Jose Devers, OFs Griffin Conine, Marty Costes, and Jonathan Davis were all reassigned to Minor League camp. 

Meyer, 25, who is coming off Tommy John surgery in 2022, pitched well in his limited Grapefruit League action. In three appearances, Meyer threw seven shutout innings and struck out five. That success should give him some confidence heading into the season after missing all of 2023. While he was not expected to break camp with the Marlins, the timing of Meyer's demotion was interesting, given that Miami is expected to be without two of their projected starters to begin the year. 

LHP Braxton Garrett was initially diagnosed with general body soreness at the beginning of camp and it  was later specified as left shoulder soreness. Due to that, he is off to a slow start this spring and is expected to begin the season on the IL. 

Right-hander Edward Cabrera was diagnosed with a right shoulder impingement, the same injury that caused him to miss a month of the 2023 season. "Those things are day-to-day; it was nothing bigger than that, which is obviously good news," said manager Skip Schumaker. "He's getting evaluated today after the MRI, and we'll have to wait to hear back and go back from there."

Troy Johnston

A fan-favorite, INF Troy Johnston was also reassigned to Minor League camp on Tuesday. With Josh Bell figuring to get most of the playing time at first base, and NRI Trey Mancini still in big league camp, it was viewed as a long shot for Johnston to break camp with the club. He should, however, be the first man up if an injury to one of Miami's position players occurs, as Johnston can fill in at DH, first base, and left field. 

Johnston got off to a scorching start this spring, going 4-for-9 with four RBIs to begin camp. Unfortunately for him, he suffered a right ankle sprain on March 1 in Clearwater against the Phillies. That injury sidelined him for over nine days before returning to action on the 10th.