Kevin Barral

It is fair to say that Sandy Alcantara is trending in the right direction. After throwing six strong and efficient innings against the Colorado Rockies, he kept that momentum going against the Pittsburgh Pirates with his first scoreless start of the season. Alcantara's performance was crucial to the Miami Marlins' 3-2 victory. Alcantara again completed six innings, this time allowing three hits, one walk and striking out six. This came while facing many of the same Pirates hitters who combined to score 10 runs the night before. "Starting to get better day by day, week by week," Alcantara told the media following his outing. "I feel good the way that I have been throwing." Alcantara's curveball was his most-used pitch. It generated two whiffs, including a swinging strikeout of Andrew McCutchen for his sixth and final strikeout of the night. His curveball usage was also higher than normal during his previous start. "With some lefties in the lineup, throw the spin in there and between him, Nick (Fortes) and our pitching crew, putting a game plan they think is best fitted for a particular lineup," said manager Clayton McCullough following the game. "It's great that Sandy now is continuing to gain the confidence to be able to utilize his arsenal in whatever way best maximizes it for that particular day and hitters that he's facing." For Alcantara, it was similar to the strategy that he had against the Rockies: "Throwing breaking balls for strikes and surprise hitters with the heater." Alcantara's four-seam fastball averaged 97.6 mph and topped out at 99.2 mph. He generated one whiff on the pitch, but it was crucial in getting ahead of the count, using it more to set up his secondary stuff. He posted a first-pitch strike rate of 73%. He retired the last ten hitters in order to finish his outing. "Complete outing tonight from him in 85 pitches," said McCullough. "I think in some of the swings the guys took, it shows the quality of the stuff while also relentlessly pounding the strike zone...I thought this was even better than the one he just had against Colorado, just from an overall execution standpoint." With a relatively low pitch count, McCullough considered letting Alcantara throw the seventh inning, which in 2025 has been uncharted territory for him. Similar to his last start against the Rockies, McCullough ultimately decided that he wanted the veteran right-hander "leaving another one with a very good taste in his mouth." Nick Fortes, who had been struggling ever since coming off the injured list, hit his second home run of the season in the top of the third off Pirates starter Mitch Keller. The ball left the bat at 104.2 mph and went 397 feet to left field. It gave the Fish an early 2-0 lead. Eric Wagaman punched in the Marlins' third and final run of the game on an RBI single, driving in Otto Lopez. "Was really just trying to stay short, especially with two strikes," said Nick Fortes following the game. "Not trying to do too much honestly. Try to move it, put the ball in play and thankfully, I caught it out in front and elevated it." Following Alcantara's exit, the Marlins turned the ball to Ronny Henriquez, who surrendered two solo homers. The first was to struggling third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, which made it a 3-1 game. After securing the first out of the inning, Oneil Cruz hit a 416- foot tank, cutting the lead to just one run. Despite the Pirates making it interesting in the bottom of the ninth inning against Calvin Faucher, he was able to get out of it, striking out Hayes swinging to give the Marlins their 25th win of the season. The rubber match on Wednesday will begin at 12:35 pm with Cal Quantrill taking the mound. View full article

Right-hander Eury Pérez was back on the mound for the Miami Marlins on Monday, making his first start in 628 days. Pérez's season debut coming back from Tommy John surgery lasted only three innings, allowing four runs on four hits, walking two and striking out five against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Marlins fell by a final score of 10-3. Pérez's fastball velocity was fully back to where it previously was as a 20-year-old rookie. He averaged 98.5 mph and topped out at 99.7 mph. He touched 99 mph eight times. He generated three whiffs on four-seamers and two of his five strikeouts came on that pitch. However, he struggled with commanding the pitch consistently, overthrowing a bit at times. Pérez's first strikeout in his return came on the slider (mislabeled a cutter by Statcast), getting Oneil Cruz swinging. He also mixed a new sweeper, which he had told the media he added throughout the rehab process. He threw it 6% of the time and generated one whiff. In the bottom of the third inning, Pérez surrendered a lead-off walk to catcher Brett Sullivan, base hit to Jared Triolo and then loaded the bases by walking Cruz. Longtime Pirate Andrew McCutchen tied the game at one apiece with an infield RBI single and former future Marlin Bryan Reynolds hit a bases-clearing triple, giving the Pirates a commanding 4-1 lead. Although Pérez finished the night with a 67% first-pitch strike rate, he was behind the count on the first five hitters he faced in that bottom of the third inning. The Pirates offense took advantage. He threw 39 of his 70 total pitches in the third. "The pitch count just got elevated and had to work really hard there," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough following the game. "Got some deep counts and some foul balls. I thought he threw some good sliders. The fastball obviously had good velocity. I think the command will continue to come as he just gets back out there and gets back into the rhythm and into the flow of things. All in all, while he's probably not happy with how things turned out and results, to be back out there again and have the chance to get back on the mound is great for us." The next outing for Pérez could come against the Washington Nationals this weekend or back in Miami when the Marlins host the Philadelphia Phillies beginning on June 16. In the bottom of the first inning, Otto Lopez took Pirates starting pitcher Mike Burrows deep for a solo home run, his sixth of the season, tying a career-high. His bat hit the ball at 105.5 mph, sending it 408 feet to left field. It gave the Marlins an early 1-0 lead. Bad defense was a big reason for the Pirates' production. In the bottom of the sixth, reliever Janson Junk gave up a lead-off double to Spencer Horwitz followed by a base hit to Nick Gonzalez. Adam Frazier drove Horwitz in on an RBI single. What started off as a bunt single from third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes resulted in two runs due to throwing errors from Connor Norby, and Jesús Sánchez. Hayes got all the way to third base, setting up a sac fly and an additional run. "I think that was probably the most disappointing part of this," McCullough said. "We didn't handle the ball, threw it around a little bit, gave up some extra bases and some runs that kind of got away from us. We've been on the losing end of some games that have been tight and we've just played at a different standard, and tonight, we didn't." The second Marlins run came on a Jesús Sánchez sac fly and the third run was on an RBI double from Connor Norby. With the loss, the Marlins have dropped to 24-40 on the season. Sandy Alcantara will take the mound on Tuesday as he looks to keep the momentum from his last start going. First pitch is at 6:40 pm. View full article

The Major League Baseball trade deadline is one of the most exciting times of the year for any baseball fan. When your team is in it, you dream of acquisitions who can help them compete for a World Series. When rooting for a team that's selling at the deadline, it's about loading up on top prospects who have the potential to somebody develop into even better versions of the veterans that were dealt away. For a second straight season, the Miami Marlins find themselves in the seller's category. Last year, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix swung a total of eight trades in late July, with six of them coming on deadline day itself. Three of the players that they got back are currently on the Marlins 26-man roster—Agustín Ramírez, Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers—with others set to debut by the end of 2025. These four Marlins are strong candidates to be wearing a different uniform following the July 31 deadline. Ronny Henriquez It is rare to see a player go from waiver claim to trade deadline asset within the same year, but Henriquez has positioned himself to be flipped at the deadline with a great first half. Through 27 appearances, he has a 2.64 ERA, 3.69 FIP, 12.33 K/9 and 4.11 BB/9 in 30 ⅔ innings pitched. The 25-year-old reliever isn't arbitration-eligible until 2028, so any team acquiring team will have him for a while. What stands out about the right-hander is his deep pitch mix. He throws a sweeper (which the Marlins added this spring), a more conventional slider, changeup, and fastball. Although the sweeper is his newest pitch, he throws it 28.7% of the time, more than any other pitch. It generates a whiff rate of 48.9% and 30.9 PutAway%. His four-seam fastball is now averaging 96.0 mph and has been unhittable as well. His slider, which is used 22.9% of the time, generates the lowest opponent batting average (.136). The changeup is mainly for left-handed hitters. As we know, relievers are volatile. While there is no rush for the Marlins to trade Henriquez this year, his value could be at its highest right now. Potential fits: Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers Anthony Bender Bender is the Marlins reliever who's closest to free agency, currently in his first year of arbitration eligibility and under club control through 2027. He is turning in a career year at 30 years old, posting a 1.82 ERA, 3.56 FIP, 7.3 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 through 24 ⅔ innings pitched. Similar to Henriquez, Bender is throwing his sweeper more than any other pitch this season (44.3%). His sweeper isn't leading to as much swing-and-miss, but it's still very effective against righties. Bender's sinker has seen a velocity increase this season, going from 95.5 mph in 2024 to 96.4 mph in 2025. He has recorded saves in each of his four MLB seasons, but only 11 total. Contenders would look to use Bender in whatever inning lines him up to face as many righties as possible. Potential fits: Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers Edward Cabrera Entering this season, everybody expected Sandy Alcantara to be the main Marlins starting pitcher on the trade block, but as things stand, it would make sense for them to give him more time to re-establish himself while cashing in on the surprisingly consistent Edward Cabrera. Through ten starts, Cabrera has a 3.99 ERA, 3.84 FIP, 9.60 K/9 and 3.81 BB/9 (career-low). In the month of May, he had likely the best stretch of his career, posting a 2.00 ERA, 2.86 FIP, 28 strikeouts and only eight walks. One big change with Cabrera has been using his four-seam fastball less and going more sinker-heavy. Last season, he would throw his four-seamer 27.2% of the time, his second-most-used pitch. In 2025, it's now his least-used pitch (13.6%). Coming up through the minor leagues, Cabrera's changeup made him special and that continues to be the case. He throws it harder that any other MLB starter (93.4 mph). Lefties have only two home runs against him this season. This version of Cabrera is a bargain at $1.95 million in 2025. He will be arb-eligible three more times. Potential fits: New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians and Toronto Blue Jays Jesús Sánchez The lone position player that we will mention on this list has been on a tear. Sánchez is coming off a five RBI game on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays and going into Sunday's series finale, he was slashing .269/.354/.417/.771 with five home runs, 23 RBI and a 117 wRC+. One major improvement for Sánchez early on has been his swing decisions. He is posting the lowest strikeout rate of his career (23.0 K%) and the highest walk rate (11.2 BB%). Yet another player with multiple years of control left (through the 2027 season), Sánchez has a strong arm to contribute in the corner outfield spots. At the very least, he'd be a good option as a designated hitter against right-handers. Potential fits: Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers View full article

MIAMI, FL—Several minor league free agent signings have seen some action for the 2025 Miami Marlins, including Ronny Simon, Heriberto Hernández and Rob Brantly, but right-hander Janson Junk has separated himself from the rest. Assumed to be another depth arm that would come up and down from Triple-A Jacksonville, Junk is having far too much success to consider sending down. It's now a question of what his role will be in Miami for the rest of the season and potentially future years. Junk bounced around quite a bit prior to signing with Miami. Originally drafted by the New York Yankees, he was traded twice and claimed off waivers twice. He had already pitched in the majors with three teams, but the results weren't promising (6.75 ERA and 5.07 FIP in 40.0 IP). However, Junk opened eyes in spring training and was one of the final non-roster invitees in contention for an Opening Day roster spot. He was assigned to AAA instead, but made the most of it. During nine appearances (eight starts) with Jacksonville, the 29-year-old posted a 2.78 ERA, 2.57 FIP, 7.94 K/9 and 1.39 BB/9 through 45 ⅓ innings pitched. Junk tells Fish On First what was different about the most recent call-up he received two weeks ago: "That was the first time getting called up in person...To have the experience of getting back and sharing that moment with (Jacksonville manager) David Carpenter and the excitement from the guys in the locker room, that was really special. It was cool seeing on the schedule that we were going to Anaheim, back to the spot where I made my debut. Haven't been back there. When I was with the Brewers, I was never able to go there. It was a full-circle moment." Facing the Los Angeles Angels on May 24, Junk went five innings, allowing one run on six hits, one walk and struck out four. He became the first pitcher in Marlins history to pitch five-plus relief innings and finish a game in which Miami won. He was also credited for the save. All three appearances for Junk this season have come in long relief, posting a 1.38 ERA, 1.00 FIP, 10.4 K/9 and 0.7 BB/9 in 13 innings pitched. Coincidentally, all of his outings have been piggybacking starter Cal Quantrill and they have split the workload very evenly (13.1 IP for Quantrill in those three starts). In addition to his mid-90s fastball and slider, Junk's pitch mix consists of a sweeper that he uses to put away righties and occasional curveballs and changeups against lefties. Junk has walked only one batter with the Marlins. Since spring training, he says he has been sticking to his plan of "filling up the zone, understanding that my pitches get outs." According to Baseball Savant, Junk is locating 60.7% of his pitches in the strike zone. That is not only the highest rate on the Marlins, but second-highest amongst all MLB pitchers who have thrown at least 100 pitches this season. He is constantly ahead in the count with an elite first-pitch strike rate of 77.6%. Moving forward, Junk may have to be more careful. It hasn't come back to bite him yet, but his opponents have a massive 60.6% hard-hit rate. He has been barreled up four times, even though none of them have produced home runs. Keeping the ball in the park was a big problem with his previous teams. After getting stretched out as a starter this season, he's had to adjust to this new role. "Luckily, I had experience last year coming out of the 'pen with the Brewers, so I kind of built some type of routine out of the bullpen," said Junk. "I can take things from what I learned through that process...I get my treatment, recovery, lifts, but once I'm fresh, it's all bullpen. I'm totally thinking about the bullpen, warming up every few innings, getting locked in. So far, it's been a good transition." Expect Junk to continue as a long reliever until the Marlins suffer another starting rotation injury or trade one of their veteran arms such as Quantrill, who is a pending free agent. During the second half of the season in all likelihood, there will be an opportunity for him to start games consistently. View full article

MIAMI, FL—During his drive to the ballpark, Sandy Alcantara knew Tuesday's start was going to be a good one. Alcantara had previously allowed six earned runs against the Padres, five earned against the Los Angeles Angels and four against the Tampa Bay Rays, but entering his matchup with the Colorado Rockies, "everything was different," said Alcantara postgame. "I got here and had a different mindset." Instead of keeping to himself as he usually does on start days, Alcantara was talking to his teammates in the clubhouse, playing pop-a-shot and just being more loose and relaxed. It's safe to say that it worked. Alcantara kept the Marlins in the game with his best overall start of the season, though it wasn't enough as the Rockies defeated the Marlins by a final score of 3-2. It marked the Rockies first series win in 2025. Alcantara went six innings, allowing two runs on four hits, one walk and struck out four. It marked his second quality start of the season. He only threw 70 pitches and still has yet to pitch into the seventh inning of a ballgame this year. Alcantara noted postgame that he did not lobby to go back out there for the seventh and Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said the same thing. He wanted Alcantara to "feel really good about how the entirety of the outing went" without jeopardizing that by leaving him in too long. "From start to finish tonight, this was just overall the most complete game he's put together this season," said McCullough. "The quality of the misses and the quality of the throws tonight were terrific. Really finishing through and was very good. Pitched around a leadoff double one inning and stranded the guy there. Couple unfortunate hits, but for the most part, limited hard contact and getting guys over top of his sinker. His breaking balls were more effective tonight than they have been." Alcantara used the sinker 34% of the time and curveball 20% of the time—his average usages of those pitches are 23.8% and 13.5%, respectively. His curveball generated two whiffs and his sinker generated soft contact (average exit velocity of 78.8 mph). While warming up in the bullpen, Alcantara said his curveball felt the best it has all season. "So I threw a couple and since I just released, I said, 'Damn, that was great break,' and yeah, today everything was good." The Marlins offense provided him with some early run support. In the bottom of the third inning, Jesús Sánchez drove in the first run of the game on an RBI single. Just two hitters later, Kyle Stowers knocked a base hit up the middle to drive in the second run of the game. Sánchez is riding a nine-game hit streak and now leads the team with a .363 on base percentage. He is slashing .274/.363/.404/.767 with four home runs and 17 RBI. With the trade deadline coming up and the Marlins falling even farther back of playoff contention, the veteran outfielder is continuing to boost his value. The Marlins' lead did not last long. With runners on the corners in the top of the fifth inning, leadoff hitter Jordan Beck smacked a 101.1 mph RBI single to give the Rockies their first run of the game. A sac fly from Thairo Estrada tied the game at two apiece. Colorado stole two bases during that rally. No runners have been caught trying to steal against Alcantara in 2025. In the top of the eighth inning, catcher Hunter Goodman hit his third home run this series, giving the Rockies a 3-2 lead, which ended up being all they needed to win the game. Goodman leaves Tuesday's game slashing .277/.325/.477/.802 with ten home runs and 35 RBI. It was the first homer allowed by Anthony Bender since August 10, 2024. "It's a tough task for a right-handed hitter to hang in there against Bender and be able to still have enough behind it to barrel it," said McCullough. "Good swing by him." With the loss, the Marlins have now dropped series to the worst teams in both the American League (Chicago White Sox) and the National League (Colorado Rockies). They will try to salvage the series finale on Wednesday as former Rockies starter Cal Quantrill will take the mound. First pitch is at 12:10 pm. View full article

Veteran catcher Nick Fortes is far from the biggest name on the Miami Marlins roster, yet he's been at the center of an ongoing debate over the past few weeks. Should one of the organization's longest-tenured players be moved at the upcoming MLB trade deadline so that Miami's younger options can fully take over at the position? Through 50 games this season, Fortes is slashing .252/.300/.360/.660 with two home runs and 10 RBI. He's been a reliable contact hitter as a Marlin and that has continued in 2025 with a 13.9% strikeout rate. More importantly, Fortes is a well-rounded defender. He ranks in the 89th percentile among MLB catchers in blocks above average, 73rd percentile in framing and 73rd percentile in pop time. He is under club control through 2028. However, in those 50 games, Fortes has only 122 plate appearances. He is on pace for less playing time than he's had in any previous full season in the majors. That's because the Marlins have carried three catchers on their roster since Fortes returned from the injured list on May 4. Agustín Ramírez has started more than twice as many games as Fortes during that span (56 to 26). Liam Hicks continues to earn opportunities with his bat as well, part of the reason why Fortes has played only one complete game from start to finish so far in July. The top position player prospect in the Marlins farm system, Joe Mack, is a catcher, too. Mack is already a league-average hitter against Triple-A competition as a 22-year-old and his defensive skill set earned him a 2024 Minor League Gold Glove. Even if Ramírez stops catching completely to become a designated hitter and first baseman, there isn't a clear fit for Fortes moving forward. He would be more useful to other teams. It needs to be noted that midseason trades involving catchers aren't too common. This is because they are responsible for learning the strengths, weaknesses and tendencies of everybody on the pitching staff, and it takes time for those relationships to develop. The transition is much easier to make during the offseason. The Tampa Bay Rays addressed their catching weakness two full months before the deadline, acquiring Matt Thaiss from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for prospect Dru Baker. Thaiss has had a similar career to Fortes—a little bit older, but more consistent as a hitter from year to year. Prior to the trade, he was slashing .212/.382/.294/.676 with one home run, eight RBI and a 104 wRC+. Through 18 games with the Rays, Thaiss has posted a 81 wRC+, but aside from his four blocks above average, he's been underwhelming defensively. In smaller, more recent transactions, the Cincinnati Reds traded Austin Wynns to the Athletics for cash considerations and the Baltimore Orioles acquired former Marlins backstop Alex Jackson from the New York Yankees for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Fortes clearly has more value than either of them. Among contending teams, the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres could definitely use Fortes' services. The Giants currently find themselves dead last in OPS and second to last in wRC+ at the catching position. As good as Patrick Bailey is defensively, he has been a clear liability in the lineup, slashing .193/.258/.292/.551 with two home runs, 26 RBI and a 56 wRC+. Bailey's offensive-minded backup was supposed to be Tom Murphy, but he's been sidelined all season due to a back injury. On top of forming the best defensive catching tandem in baseball, Fortes would actually help the Giants with his bat. The Padres split their catching duties between Martín Maldonado and Elias Díaz, who have both been awful statistically. That being said, their influence on one of the league's most successful pitching staffs cannot be ignored. With Díaz and Maldonado being deep into their 30s, maybe the Padres would be interested in Fortes regardless as protection in case of an injury down the stretch. Keep in mind that Fortes still has minor league options remaining—he does not need to be forced onto the active roster right away. As we have seen, A.J. Preller doesn't hesitate to trade prospects in an effort to make his big league team slightly better. View full article

MIAMI, FL—On Monday, Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough informed the media that starting pitcher Eury Pérez will make his final rehab start on Tuesday with Triple-A Jacksonville. After that, Pérez will be reinstated from the injured list, most likely during the Marlins' series against the Pittsburgh Pirates from June 9-11. Pérez, 22, underwent Tommy John surgery back on April 8, 2024 and made his first rehab start with Low-A Jupiter just over a year later on April 26. He has completed seven rehab starts in total—five at Low-A and two at Triple-A. He has posted a 1.96 ERA, 11.3 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 through 18 ⅓ innings pitched. "Checking the box from a health standpoint, which he has," said McCullough prior to the series opener against the Colorado Rockies. "He's been able to build up his stamina, increase the ups and increase the pitch count where you feel like he's got a good enough base underneath him to come up here and pitch into a game." In his most recent start, Pérez went five innings, allowing one hit, one walk and struck out four. His fastball averaged 97.9 mph and topped out at 99.9 mph. He threw his slider, curveball, changeup and sinker. He threw a total of 72 pitches. Pérez will likely go around 80-85 pitches in his final start, which will come against the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays affiliate). Per McCullough, there has been no decision on how the Marlins will incorporate Pérez into their existing rotation of Sandy Alcantara, Ryan Weathers, Edward Cabrera, Max Meyer and Cal Quantrill. Creating a temporary six-man rotation could be a possibility. Alcantara has struggled the most overall, but cannot be optioned to the minors without his consent. After excelling during the first month of the season, Meyer has slumped, including matching a career-high with 10 hits allowed in Monday's loss to the MLB-worst Colorado Rockies. Regardless, the Marlins will have to make a corresponding roster move to bring Pérez back from the 60-day IL. "I think we'll continue to talk about what that's going to look like," said McCullough. "We're not there yet." View full article

MIAMI, FL—Back from the injured list, Xavier Edwards has made a position change. The Marlins had been experimenting with Edwards as their starting shortstop since last July, but he is going to be at second base moving forward, which he hasn't played regularly since 2023. That isn't the only moving piece of the Marlins infield. Following the recent decision to designate Matt Mervis for assignment, Liam Hicks has taken over as the team's backup first baseman. Hicks made his first career start there on Sunday. Through 110 career games at shortstop, Edwards posted minus-12 defensive runs saved and minus-16 outs above average. One of his biggest defects at the position was his arm strength, ranking in the 20th percentile last season, but only getting worse in 2025, ranking in the 11th percentile. Marlins infield/baserunning coach Tyler Smarslok is optimistic about how Edwards will adjust to moving back to the right side of the diamond. "I think X has proven that he can continue to get better at things," said Smarslok. "If he was given that runway, I think he was going to continue to get better. I bet on that guy every day. I think second base is a home for him that he feels really comfortable in. I think his skill set at second base is just going to play. I think we could be looking at one of the best defensive second baseman in the league now." In 43 games prior to Sunday, Edwards was slashing .262/.335/.291/.626 with 11 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a 74 OPS+. The big dip in offensive production compared to 2024 could've been in part because of the high amounts of extra work that goes into playing shortstop and that could've bled into the offensive side of his game. He was excellent at the plate on Sunday, finishing 5-for-5 with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning. He and Jesús Sánchez are the only players in franchise history to have a 5-for-5 day. "Comfort always helps, but I think more so my mindset, headspace I've been in since my IL stint definitely is a big factor," Edwards said postgame. When Fish On First asked him about his initial reaction to being told he was going back to second base, he said he was "excited" to go back to his natural position. One of the biggest adjustments he noted was just turning double plays and just the way he needs to go about fielding balls that come towards him, noting there are a lot more underhand throws. Hicks, who was selected in the Rule 5 draft by the Marlins, had prior experience at first base, dating back to the 2024 season in Triple-A with the Texas Rangers. However, his entire offseason was focused on improving behind the plate. It wasn't until about a week ago that Hicks began taking reps at first base. "He's done a lot of really good work," Smarslok said. "He's actually played a lot of first in the minor leagues, so now it's just getting his big league taste of it. He moves his feet really well, got really good hands, he's got the catcher's hands that can work short hop. We're expecting him to do pretty well out there." Hicks has been very productive offensively as a rookie, slashing .275/.350/.473/.822 with four home runs, 22 RBI and a 123 OPS+. Adding another position makes it easier for the Marlins to get him at-bats on a roster that includes fellow catchers Agustín Ramírez and Nick Fortes. "I want to do whatever it takes to get in the lineup," Hicks told Fish On First. "I'm excited that they're giving me an opportunity to play first. It'll be cool." Hicks has been helped throughout this process by Eric Wagaman, who gave Hicks his glove to use in his first career start at the position. "He's helped a lot. We've been over there taking them at the same time, so he's given me some tips with positioning and foot placement on the bag." On Sunday, Hicks looked good at first base outside of one moment in the top of the sixth. Hicks fielded a sharp ground ball and threw to second for a force out, but did not run back to cover first in time for the Marlins to complete a double play. "I think hopefully he just feels more comfortable over there," said manager Clayton McCullough following the game. "Getting some game reps under his belt is a way for us to maybe continue to be able to have Liam get some opportunities in the lineup." The final piece to this infield realignment is Otto Lopez permanently moving over to shortstop. In 11 games at the position this season, Lopez has a two DRS and zero OAA. Smarslok describes Lopez's arm as a "bazooka." "He's got to attack his feet a little bit more," said Smarslok. "He's got to really attack the ball, play on the run a little bit more than you do at second base. That's been a big sticking point for him. Another one who's played a lot of short in his career and now he's just going to do it a little bit more regularly. It's just leaning on really getting into his legs, not just having a stable base and using the arm. He's got to use his legs and feet just a little bit more than he than he had in the past." Unaffected by these changes, Connor Norby remains the Marlins' regular third baseman. He has been used exclusively at the hot corner this season (-2 DRS and 0 OAA). "I think he's done an incredible job," said Smarslok. "Some of the numbers, he's doing some really good stuff over there. What I've been impressed with is he's a professional ball catcher. The ball's at him, it's going and I think even more so than that, talking to him in the offseason, the throw was giving him some trouble last year. Moving from second to third is an incredibly demanding position. It's really tough on the throw. He's throwing the ball better than he's ever thrown it. He feels really good, like his feet are really good. Those were the big things for him." With their series finale loss on Sunday, the Marlins fall to 23-34 on the season and will open a three-game set on Monday against the worst team in baseball, the Colorado Rockies. Max Meyer will toe the rubber against Germán Márquez at 6:40 pm. View full article

MIAMI, FL—The Miami Marlins pitched well, but the Giants staff performed even better. Kyle Harrison was backed up by a deep bullpen to shut out the Marlins by a final score of 2-0. It's the fifth time in 2025 that the Marlins have been held scoreless. Cal Quantrill only went 3 ⅓ innings in his last start against the Los Angeles Angels. His workload was closer to normal in this outing: five innings, allowing two runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out a season-high seven. His fastball averaged 93.9 mph and topped out at 95.0 mph, marking his hardest-thrown pitch of the season. When Quantrill struck out Willy Adames swinging to finish his outing, you saw him shout at his dugout, showing emotion, something he also did in his start against the Tampa Bay Rays. "Maybe a little bit unnecessary," the veteran right-hander noted, but he has been "grinding this season" (career-worst 5.84 ERA), so it was nice for him to see the work behind the scenes pay off. "He did a really good job of navigating around," said manager Clayton McCullough. "He was able to get some some strikeouts today, especially when he needed to and really made some big pitches when it counted, when he needed to finish guys off. Gutsy effort by him." One thing Quantrill did to find success was get ahead in the count, posting a 62% first-pitch strike rate. "Thought we were mostly in power counts and that we protected the swing-and-miss pitch to the best of our ability until two strikes and we were able to get a couple whiffs there." Quantrill generated 11 whiffs on Friday night, including five with his splitter, which he threw 21% of the time. Even when the Giants put the ball in play against Quantrill, only five of them were hard hit (exit velocity of 95+ mph). His 87.7 mph average exit velo allowed was much better than his season average of 91.4 mph. In the top of the first inning, Heliot Ramos hit a triple to right field and Kyle Stowers made a perfect throw to third baseman Connor Norby, which would've gotten Ramos by a mile, but Norby wasn't able to make the catch. After Quantrill struck out Jung Hoo Lee, Giants RBI leader Wilmer Flores drove Ramos in, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead. Third baseman Matt Chapman took Quantrill deep for his 10th home run of the season, extending the lead to 2-0. Similar to Quantrill's last start, the Marlins went with Janson Junk in long relief. In his previous appearance, Junk went five innings of work, earning the save. On Friday, he went four shutout innings, allowing three hits, no walks and striking out five. "For Junk to come in behind Cal tonight and give us four innings as well and keeping us right in the game was huge," McCullough said. "Gave our offense a chance to come back and at the same time preserve a number of our guys down in the bullpen. Between him and Cal tonight, to get that effort from both of them was great for us. Not only two guys who got through the game, but in the manner in which they pitched was the most important thing." Giants starter Kyle Harrison was great, going five innings of work, allowing one hit, three walks and striking out five. Overall, seven Giants arms limited the Marlins offense to only three hits, though Miami did work seven walks. "Their bullpen certainly has been tough and it's good," said McCullough. "Harrison the first time through, maybe just gotta be a little more patient, get into the at-bat, which I felt there was a stretch where we were able to get a couple walks out of them. The second time through, he seemed to drive it up a little bit and without that many knocks, we created an opportunity there." The Marlins offense ended the night going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and leaving ten on base. They brought the potential winning run to the plate in both the seventh and eighth innings, but couldn't get the big hit. With the loss, the Marlins drop to 22-33 on the season and will send Edward Cabrera to the mound on Saturday. He will look to keep the momentum going from his last start against the Angels. First pitch is at 4:10 pm. View full article

Miami Marlins outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. speaks with Fish On First about making his MLB debut and what adjustments he'll have to make to stick on the roster. View full video

Prior to Friday's series opener against the San Francisco Giants, the Miami Marlins announced a handful of roster moves, most notably designating Matt Mervis and Ronny Simon for assignment. Their 40-man and active roster spots have gone to outfielder Heriberto Hernández and infielder Jack Winkler. The Marlins optioned Graham Pauley to Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday, which paved the way for Dane Myers to be reinstated from the injured list. Mervis was acquired in an offseason trade that sent Vidal Bruján over to the Chicago Cubs. He showed early signs of a potential breakout season, slashing .213/.286/.520/.806 with seven home runs and 14 RBI through the end of April, with a stretch from April 1-17 that he slashed .286/.333/.800/1.133. It all went downhill after that. Mervis had not hit a home run or driven in a run since April 23 as opponents began attacking him with more fastballs. In 42 Marlins games overall, he slashed .175/.254/.383/.637 with a 71 wRC+. He struck out 37.3% of the time. Simon earned his first career call-up after an excellent start to the season with AAA-Jacksonville. As a Marlin, he played in 19 games and slashed .234/.327/.277/.604 with five RBI and a 73 wRC+. The baseball world became much more familiar with the versatile switch-hitter on Tuesday when he committed three errors and was replaced midway through the game. Simon received widespread support from current and former players after he was seen crying on television. Like Simon, Heriberto Hernández signed a minor league deal with the Marlins and had history with president of baseball operations Peter Bendix from their days in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Through 41 Jumbo Shrimp games, he's slashing .220/.319/.454/.773 with nine home runs, 21 RBI and a 109 wRC+. The only downside—similar to Mervis—is that Hernandez strikes out 35.0% of the time, though he walks 11.7% of the time. Defensively, he has been a left fielder and designated hitter this season. With Mervis out of the picture, Eric Wagaman will be Miami's main first baseman. Although Hernández has played 45 career games at first, none of those were above the High-A level. It was reported by Christina De Nicola that catcher Liam Hicks would see some time at first base, so it looks like he'll back up Wagaman. Minor league Rule 5 Draft pick Jack Winkler is also set to make his MLB debut. Through 41 games played, he has slashed .275/.331/.423/.754 with five home runs, 19 RBI and a 106 wRC+. He's split time between third base and shortstop, but has also played first and second. Winkler's strikeout rate (26.8%) and walk rate (8.3%) are both lower than Hernández. Ranked second on the Marlins with 0.9 fWAR in 2025, Dane Myers missed the previous 16 games due to a right oblique strain. The Marlins 40-man roster remains full. The Marlins and Giants kick off a three-game set on Friday night. Cal Quantrill will take the mound at 7:10 pm. View full article

Fish Unfiltered—Episode #74 Returning Fish Unfiltered guest Craig Mish sits down with Isaac Azout and Kevin Barral to describe his transition from Miami Marlins scoops king to TV analyst, the ongoing struggles of Sandy Alcantara, players who could be on the trade block this summer and much more. Find Fish Unfiltered on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Swimming Upstream, Big Fish Small Pod and more. Watch Mish on FanDuel Sports Network Florida where he works as a pregame/postgame analyst for select Marlins home games. On Friday, he will be moderating a panel with Marlins bench coach Carson Vitale and field coordinator Aaron Leanhardt in the Blue Moon Brew Hall at loanDepot park. To RSVP, email enrollment@marlins.com or call 305-480-2525. Follow Craig (@CraigMish), Isaac (⁠@IsaacAzout⁠), Kevin (⁠@kevin_barral⁠) and Fish On First (⁠@FishOnFirst⁠) on Twitter. Join the ⁠Marlins Discord server⁠! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at ⁠FishOnFirst.com⁠. View full article

On Fish Unfiltered, Marlins insider Craig Mish floats the possibility that Xavier Edwards could be expendable as the team turns to internal options to handle shortstop and leadoff hitter responsibilities. View full video