Ely Sussman

Drafted by the Marlins in 2025 (third round, $897.5k signing bonus) Injury history Shoulder surgery (2026)

Fish On First has created this landing page to be frequently updated throughout the year with the latest on injuries affecting Miami Marlins players in both the majors and minors. Major league injuries RHP Anthony Bender (15-day IL, right shin stress reaction) Last official game appearance: August 18 (rehab assignment, Jacksonville) Throwing program paused and being re-evaluated as of September 7 Not expected to return during 2026 season 2B Xavier Edwards (10-day IL, left thumb sprain) Last official game appearance: August 30 Projected return to Marlins active roster: week of September 14 RHP Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL, right UCL reconstruction with internal brace procedure) Last official game appearance: September 28, 2025 Continuing throwing progression as of September 4 Will miss entire 2026 season RHP William Kempner (60-day IL, right elbow sprain) Last official game appearance: July 11 Underwent season-ending elbow surgery with Dr. Keith Meister on August 19 RHP Adam Mazur (60-day IL, right UCL reconstruction surgery) Last official game appearance: March 2 Underwent surgery on March 11 Recovery timeline of 13-14 months Scheduled to begin throwing program in September Will miss remainder of 2026 season RHP Max Meyer (15-day IL, neck strain) Last official game appearance: July 18 Resumed throwing as of September 7 Not expected to return during 2026 season LHP Andrew Nardi (60-day IL, left rib cage stress reaction) Last official game appearance: May 27 Experienced left elbow discomfort during rehab Underwent season-ending elbow surgery with Dr. Keith Meister on August 28 LHP Robby Snelling (60-day IL, left UCL repair surgery with internal brace) Last official game appearance: May 8 Underwent surgery on May 23 (performed by Dr. Keith Meister) Recovery timeline of 10-12 months Scheduled to begin throwing program in September Will miss remainder of 2026 season 1B/OF Kyle Stowers (day-to-day, left hamstring tightness) Has only served as the Marlins designated hitter since exiting early on September 3 LHP RJ Shunck (60-day IL) Assigned to Low-A Jupiter Last official game appearance: April 14 RHP Jesús Tinoco (full-season IL, right UCL reconstruction surgery) Assigned to Triple-A Jacksonville Last official game appearance: June 2, 2025 Underwent surgery in September 2025 Began throwing program on March 9 OF Fenwick Trimble (7-day IL) Assigned to Double-A Pensacola Last official game appearance: August 27 RHP Samuel Vásquez (60-day IL) Assigned to Double-A Pensacola Last official game appearance: April 16 LHP Joey Volini (7-day IL) Assigned to Double-A Pensacola Last official game appearance: August 30 RHP Logan Whitaker (7-day IL) Assigned to Double-A Pensacola Last official game appearance: August 26 RHP Josh White (7-day IL) Assigned to Triple-A Jacksonville Last official game appearance: August 22 LHP Thomas White (7-day IL, left shoulder capsular sprain) Assigned to Triple-A Jacksonville Last official game appearance: May 14 Not expected to return during 2026 season LHP Kaiden Wilson (full-season IL) Assigned to FCL Marlins Last official game appearance: August 19, 2025

The last two seasons have seen a handful of intriguing young hitters exceed expectations for the Miami Marlins. The only one of them who's been a constant presence on their active roster throughout that period? Javier Sanoja. At the beginning of 2025, Sanoja was a prototypical, lightly used utility player. However, opportunities for an expanded role have presented themselves through a combination of trades, injuries and underachievement by his teammates, and he has capitalized on them. He is now a bonafide everyday player for the Marlins as they cling to life in the National League Wild Card race with less than three weeks remaining in the 2026 regular season. Sanoja endeared himself to the club and its fanbase with his remarkable versatility—he has already played every position during his brief MLB career with the exception of catcher and played them well enough to earn an NL Gold Glove last year. Recently, though, he has elevated his offensive production to such an extent, it's time to at least entertain the possibility of signing him to a long-term deal. The Marlins subtly gave him a vote of confidence around the midpoint of this season. Designating Christopher Morel for assignment on June 21 and optioning Connor Norby to Triple-A Jacksonville on June 25 turned Sanoja into an indispensable right-handed bat. That's despite him having barely provided replacement-level performance. Well, since June 25, Sanoja has been one of the best players in baseball. He is slashing .327/.366/.514 with a 141 wRC+ and just as many walks as strikeouts. During this half-season heater, he leads all Marlins with 2.1 fWAR and ranks tied for 18th among MLB position players. You're not gonna believe the names he is tied with: Yordan Alvarez, Randy Arozarena, Caleb Durbin, Jackson Merrill and Bobby Witt Jr. Alvarez, Merrill and Witt each received north of $100 million guaranteed on their respective contract extensions, while Arozarena is a candidate to crack nine figures in free agency this offseason. It should go without saying, Sanoja isn't in the same ballpark as them. Still, perhaps there is a room for he and the Marlins to reach a compromise. Due to his lack of size and physical projection, Sanoja received a modest $100k signing bonus from the Fish in 2019. He does not become eligible for arbitration for the first time until after next season. The idea of securing a lifetime of financial security now at 24 years old ought to be tempting. From the club's perspective, Sanoja is a malleable piece with a high floor. There are several ways for him to fit into their future plans, whether it be roaming around the diamond, filling their void at third base or supplanting Xavier Edwards at second base. Without an extension, he's on track to reach free agency after his age-27 season, when he should still be in his prime. The most appropriate starting point for a Sanoja contract negotiation is David Fletcher's 2021 extension with the Los Angeles Angels. Remarkably similar player profiles: elite contact ability and limited raw power from the right side with solid-to-great defense at various positions. Fletcher signed for five years and $26 million with two club options on the back end. He had roughly the same amount of MLB service time as Sanoja does, but was two-plus years older. Fletcher appeared to be a slightly better and safer player than Sanoja is currently. However, the age difference between them and the contract inflation we've seen around the league since 2021 should give Sanoja leverage to command a larger payout. Earlier this year, Luis Lara signed a pre-debut extension with the Milwaukee Brewers. The terms: seven years, $31 million with three club options. A rookie at age 21, Lara is more comparable to Sanoja age-wise. He's only experienced in the outfield, but has a more advanced plate approach. Like Sanoja, he was overlooked by evaluators deep into his minor league career, never cracking mainstream Top 100 MLB prospect lists. My framework for a Javier Sanoja extension would look something like this: Five years, $36 million with two club options $3M in 2027 $5M in 2028 $7M in 2029 $9M in 2030 $11M in 2031 $12M club option in 2032 ($1M buyout) $13M club option in 2033 ($1M buyout) There's risk for both sides. The Marlins easily get their money's worth if Sanoja is an average and durable regular in their lineup. If both options are exercised, they'll be obtaining three extra years of control over him. On the other hand, Sanoja might never replicate his 2026 results due to his aggressiveness and weak batted-ball quality. Just look at how Fletcher's career fell off—he still had nearly three full years left on his deal when the Angels exiled him to the minors.

Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring Miami Marlins predictions from our valued SuperSubs, Fish On First staffers and livestream guests. Individual article pages like this one will be created prior to every Marlins series and featured prominently on the FOF site. Consistent participation is key if you want to win this annual contest. Submissions only take a few seconds. Scoring system A "perfect" series is worth three points: Earn one point for predicting which team will win the upcoming series Earn one point for predicting the precise number of victories for each team Earn one point for predicting the “Series MVP” who accumulated the highest win probability added (WPA) during the series as calculated by FanGraphs (could pick a player from either team) FOF SuperSub David Fernandez is currently atop the 2026 season leaderboard, which will be updated between every Marlins series. If you are a SuperSub, leave a comment with your Prediction Time picks on this page, or join the Marlins Discord Server and submit there. We'll feature them on the upcoming Fish On First LIVE episode and track your points throughout the season! Any picks submitted prior to the first pitch of the series opener will be counted. If you are not a SuperSub, please consider signing up here to support the FOF staff. Series preview notes Probable starting pitchers: RHP Eury Pérez (MIA) vs. RHP Jonah Tong (NYM) on Monday RHP Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs. LHP Sean Manaea (NYM) on Tuesday RHP Janson Junk (MIA) vs. RHP Nolan McLean (NYM) on Wednesday The Marlins rank 15th in MLB with a 100 wRC+ and 14th in MLB with a 4.06 FIP. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have a 43-29 record at home this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Anthony Bender (15-day IL), Xavier Edwards (10-day IL), Pete Fairbanks (15-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL), William Kempner (60-day IL), Adam Mazur (60-day IL), Andrew Nardi (60-day IL) and Robby Snelling (60-day IL). The Mets rank 24th in MLB with a 94 wRC+ and 16th in MLB with a 4.10 FIP. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games and have a 31-38 record on the road this season. The following Mets players are on the injured list: Reed Garrett (60-day IL), Tylor Megill (60-day IL), Cionel Pérez (15-day IL), Jorge Polanco (60-day IL) and Devin Williams (15-day IL).

Fish On First staffers react to the latest Miami Marlins series and prepare you for what lies ahead. Sunday's show was hosted by Ely Sussman and featured panelists Nate Karzmer, Sean Millerick and Marcel Sparks. The following topics were covered: Josh Beckett's Marlins Legends Hall of Fame induction Javier Sanoja capitalizing on everyday opportunity Fragile state of the bullpen NL Wild Card race updates 2025 Marlins draft class thriving at the plate Previewing and predicting the next series against the New York Mets You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Our next FOF LIVE episode will be on Thursday at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET on the off-day following the Marlins-Mets series finale.

Prior to the start of each new Miami Marlins series, we invite the Fish On First staff, FOF LIVE guests and SuperSubs to participate in Prediction Time. Results for the 2026 season will be tracked here. This is how the scoring system works: Earn one point for predicting which team will win the upcoming series Earn one point for predicting the precise number of victories for each team Earn one point for predicting the “Series MVP” who accumulated the highest win probability added (WPA) during the series as calculated by FanGraphs (could pick a player from either team) That's a maximum of three points per series. Rank Name Total Prediction Points Series Winner Points Series MVP Points 1 David Fernandez 60 49 11 2 Jeremiah Geiger 58 51 7 3 Baby Seal 57 48 9 4 Sportsman38 54 48 6 5 Robert Hanson 52 45 7 6 TenofSpades BK 49 41 8 7 Chad Turner 46 39 7 8 Hans Herrera 46 41 5 9 Daniel Rodriguez 45 42 3 10 Hector Rodriguez 45 43 2 11 Sean Millerick 45 38 7 12 Kevin Barral 44 40 4 13 Bassmaster4 41 38 3 14 Ely Sussman 41 36 5 15 Stevo 40 38 2 16 2qbn 40 38 2 17 1993 fan from start 35 32 3 18 Nate Karzmer 33 28 5 19 Richard 33 30 3 20 Shawn 29 27 2 21 Alex Carver 28 26 2 22 rings 28 26 2 23 M.J.S 27 23 4 24 Loud Miami Fan 26 24 2 25 JustMyFandom 25 22 3 26 Gabriel Revilla 23 20 3 27 Sean McCormack 22 19 3 28 Saul Goodman 22 21 1 29 MRDHU75 22 21 1 30 Jose Herrera 17 17 0 31 HAMPTIME 17 14 3 32 David Slaton 17 16 1 33 JustMarlins 15 12 3 34 Michael Cronin 13 12 1 35 Alex Krutchik 12 10 2 36 Louis Addeo-Weiss 11 10 1 37 Rob V 11 11 0 38 Burr 10 9 1 39 Thomas Joseph 9 9 0 40 One Regend 9 9 0 41 Ryan Schlesinger 7 7 0 42 Isaac Azout 7 7 0 43 Casey Marika 6 5 1 44 Cartern 6 5 1 45 Slacker Mills 5 4 1 46 njp 2 2 0 47 Greek in Miami 2 2 0 48 MarlinszDude86 1 1 0 49 ducat2 1 1 0 50 Hippyboi 1 1 0 51 tbonemalone 1 1 0 52 ForeverMarlins 0 0 0 Last series

Accompanied by his family and many of his former Marlins teammates, Josh Beckett returned to loanDepot park on Sunday to take his rightful place in the Marlins Legends Hall of Fame. Beckett's plaque reads: "Joshua Patrick Beckett, the second overall selection by the Florida Marlins in the 1999 MLB Draft, made his major league debut in 2001 and won the 2003 World Series MVP Award after delivering a complete-game shutout in Game 6 to clinch the franchise's second title. Beckett totaled a 41-34 record, 3.46 ERA, and 607 strikeouts in five seasons with the club (2001-05). He was then traded to Boston where he spent seven seasons with the Red Sox, highlighted by a second World Series title in 2007, and then the final three seasons of his 14-year major league career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Beckett finished his career with a 138-106 record, 3.88 ERA, and 1,901 strikesouts in 335 games (332 starts). He was a three-time All-Star, an ALCS MVP, and finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting in 2007, the same year he led the majors in wins." Next Sunday, Dontrelle Willis will be joining Beckett in the HOF's class of 2026.

Fish On First staffers react to the latest Miami Marlins series and prepare you for what lies ahead. Friday's show was hosted by Ely Sussman and featured panelists Alex Krutchik and Sean Millerick. The following topics were covered: Leo Jiménez designated for assignment Heriberto Hernández's steady power production Graham Pauley, Deyvison De Los Santos getting opportunities NL Wild Card race updates Previewing and predicting the next series against the Chicago Cubs You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Our next FOF LIVE episode will be on Sunday at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET following the Marlins-Cubs series finale.

Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring Miami Marlins predictions from our valued SuperSubs, Fish On First staffers and livestream guests. Individual article pages like this one will be created prior to every Marlins series and featured prominently on the FOF site. Consistent participation is key if you want to win this annual contest. Submissions only take a few seconds. Scoring system A "perfect" series is worth three points: Earn one point for predicting which team will win the upcoming series Earn one point for predicting the precise number of victories for each team Earn one point for predicting the “Series MVP” who accumulated the highest win probability added (WPA) during the series as calculated by FanGraphs (could pick a player from either team) FOF SuperSub David Fernandez is currently atop the 2026 season leaderboard, which will be updated between every Marlins series. If you are a SuperSub, leave a comment with your Prediction Time picks on this page, or join the Marlins Discord Server and submit there. We'll feature them on the upcoming Fish On First LIVE episode and track your points throughout the season! Any picks submitted prior to the first pitch of the series opener will be counted. If you are not a SuperSub, please consider signing up here to support the FOF staff. Series preview notes Probable starting pitchers: RHP Janson Junk (MIA) vs. LHP Shota Imanaga (CHC) on Friday RHP Ryan Gusto (MIA) vs. TBD (CHC) on Saturday RHP Tyler Phillips (MIA) vs. TBD (CHC) on Sunday The Marlins rank 15th in MLB with a 100 wRC+ and 14th in MLB with a 4.05 FIP. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have a 42-27 record at home this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Anthony Bender (15-day IL), Xavier Edwards (10-day IL), Pete Fairbanks (15-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL), William Kempner (60-day IL), Adam Mazur (60-day IL), Andrew Nardi (60-day IL) and Robby Snelling (60-day IL). The Cubs rank first in MLB with a 115 wRC+ and 27th in MLB with a 4.71 FIP. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have a 38-31 record on the road this season. The following Cubs players are on the injured list: Tyler Austin (60-day IL), Ben Brown (60-day IL), Edward Cabrera (15-day IL), Hunter Harvey (60-day IL), Porter Hodge (60-day IL), Gavin Hollowell (15-day IL), Cade Horton (60-day IL), Riley Martin (60-day IL), Phil Maton (60-day IL), Shelby Miller (60-day IL), Justin Steele (60-day IL) and Dansby Swanson (10-day IL).