Kevin Barral

The Miami Marlins were eliminated from 2025 postseason contention following their 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. The fact that the previous sentence was written on September 25 is a credit to manager Clayton McCullough, the coaching staff and all the players who contributed this season. A team that was almost universally projected to finish with 70 wins or fewer currently stands at 77-82 with three games remaining to spoil the New York Mets' Wild Card chances. "We set out from spring training that our number one focus was going to be to just try to get better every day and try to raise the floor—not only of the players that we were gonna have on the roster at a given time and try to get everybody a little bit better as we went along, but also our staff and players creating a culture and put something in a place that we believe is gonna lead to sustainability. " McCullough said postgame. "While disappointing to get here and know that our season is going to end on Sunday, doesn't take away from taking a step back and a 30,000-foot view on so many what we feel like were real steps that we took throughout this season and the strides that a lot of our players have made." After being limited to one total (unearned) run by the previous two Phillies starting pitchers, the Marlins offense didn't fare any better against Walker Buehler. Signed by the Phillies to a minor league deal less than a month ago, Buehler went five innings, allowing three hits, three walks and struck out two on 74 pitches. Taijuan Walker followed him by throwing two innings, allowing only one hit and struck out three. Matt Strahm and David Robertson handled the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. It was the 10th time this season that the Marlins have been shut out. They did a good job making contact, but only collected eight hard-hit balls. They had no extra-base hits, though Agustín Ramírez came close with a 114 mph line drive off the left field wall. It was a short leash for Marlins starting pitcher Janson Junk, going 4 ⅔ innings. He only surrendered one run on five hits, no walks and struck out four. In the bottom of the first inning, Junk allowed a leadoff single to outfielder Harrison Bader, then struck out Kyle Schwarber and allowed a second base hit, this time to Bryce Harper, who was making his first appearance this series. Alec Bohm grounded out, but Bader was able to score. Junk went on to retire eight straight before Harper had his second hit of the night. Junk was signed to a minor league deal and initially sent down to Triple-A Jacksonville. The Marlins selected his contract on May 24. Early on, he was used in long relief, not making his first start with the team until June 20 against the Atlanta Braves. He will finish the season posting a 4.17 ERA and a 3.15 FIP through 110 innings pitched as a big leaguer. Per the team, Junk walked just 13 of the 447 batters, posting a 2.9 BB%, the lowest mark in MLB this season and the best single-season mark in club history (min. 100 IP). "He goes out there and fills it up," said McCullough. "He did exactly what we needed tonight...Great season for Janson and another start where we got what we needed." It's rare to get that kind of production from somebody acquired on a non-guaranteed contract. The only other minor league free agent signing from last offseason to pitch over 100 innings in 2025 was Toronto Blue Jays starter Eric Lauer, who finished the regular season with 103 ⅔ innings pitched, posting a 3.21 ERA and 3.88 FIP. It's unclear what role Junk will have with the Marlins in 2026. He is out of minor league options, so that positions him well to make the active roster even with talented arms coming back from injuries and making the case to be promoted from Triple-A. "We know Janson can (start or pitch out of the bullpen)," said McCullough pregame. "We'll come into spring training not knowing what the landscape is going to look like next year, but we will get Janson prepared to be a starter for us going into spring training, someone who's going to be on our team next year in some capacity. Those are just questions that we will answer down the road." In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Marlins deployed Ronny Henriquez, who struck out both Max Kepler and Harrison Bader swinging. Per the Marlins, it marked his 59th appearance with at least one strikeout, tying the club record shared by Kyle Barraclough (2016) and Tanner Scott (2023). The Marlins finish their season against the New York Mets with Sandy Alcantara taking the mound on Friday opposing rookie Brandon Sproat. First pitch is at 7:10 pm. "We're going to go home, have our last three, go out and try to win each one of those games and go about it in a very similar manner," said McCullough. View full article

The Miami Marlins pulled off an improbable comeback late Tuesday night. Held scoreless until the eighth inning, they took down the Philadelphia Phillies in 11 innings by a final score of 6-5. Heroics by Heriberto Hernández forced the game into extras, Xavier Edwards drove in the eventual winning run, and Josh Simpson turned out to be the winning pitcher. The Marlins are still four games back of the third and final NL Wild Card spot. "I love the sense of urgency that the guys are coming here and playing with," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough following the game. "They're just playing pitch to pitch and trying to play this thing out, every out of the games. I think that's something that we've seen in this group all season long. I think now knowing that we don't have much of a leash, it's every day do-or-die—and that might not be enough, but we're going to keep giving it a shot as long as we have one." Edward Cabrera (right elbow sprain) made his first start off the injured list. He looked uncomfortable from the beginning, though his fastball velocity was impressive as usual—he averaged 97.8 mph and topped out at 99.4 mph. Kyle Schwarber gave the Phillies a first-inning lead by smacking a sinker for his 54th home run of the year. Cabrera went four innings, allowing three runs off of five hits (two homers), walked one and struck out three. He went changeup-heavy, using that pitch 39% of the time. "I thought his stuff was was exceptional," McCullough said. "He came out of it feeling great. The first couple innings, he didn't really have the same kind of feel for his breaking stuff like he's had and stressful first couple of innings. Then I thought the last couple of innings he looked good." Trailing 3-0 in the top of the eighth inning, Griffin Conine hit his second home run of the season off former Marlins reliever David Robertson. It was a full-circle moment for Conine, who hadn't played in the majors since April 19 due to suffering a dislocated shoulder against this same Phillies team at Citizens Bank Park. The solo homer left the bat at 106.7 mph and went 381 feet to right field. Also against Robertson, Otto Lopez kept the inning alive with a two-out single, which was followed by a single from Liam Hicks, who was pinch-hitting for Brian Navarreto. Lopez was able to go from first to third, and then a throwing error from Harrison Bader allowed Lopez to score and make it a one-run game. Going into Tuesday's game, Phillies reliever Jhoan Duran had a 1.99 ERA during a season that has solidifies him as an elite closer. After striking out Connor Norby to begin the inning, designated hitter Heriberto Hernández took Duran deep to left field, hitting the most important home run of the his career to tie the game. It was only the third home run Duran had surrendered this season. "He's throwing 102-103 sometimes, so I am just looking for the fastball. Doesn't matter the count—I was ready for that fastball," said Hernández following the game. The Marlins turned to Calvin Faucher in the bottom of the ninth inning, but after a leadoff base hit and four total pitches, the game went into a rain delay. Play resumed one hour and nine minutes later, but the Marlins had to turn to Michael Petersen, who struck out Max Kepler, induced a fly out from Weston Wilson and line out from Bryson Stott to hold the score at 3-3. In the top of the 10th, the Marlins knocked in two runs. Liam Hicks' RBI single drove in Griffin Conine and moved Troy Johnston to third. Jakob Marsee drove Johnston in on a sac fly, making it a 5-3 lead. The most puzzling sequence of the game came in the bottom of the 10th. After Otto Kemp and Harrison Bader both lined out against Petersen, McCullough opted to intentionally walk Schwarber, bringing the winning run up to the plate in Alec Bohm. Bohm's RBI single made it a one-run game. Josh Simpson entered the game to match up with lefty Brandon Marsh, but the Phillies brought in Nick Castellanos to pinch-hit. Simpson allowed a game-tying RBI single to Castellanos before ending the inning with a strikeout. "The decision to walk Schwarber, I didn't really think that much about it," said McCullough. "He's just not going to be the one that I was going to lose it with." All it took in the top of the 11th was an Xavier Edwards sac fly to drive in Norby to retake the lead, 6-5. Simpson would go back out for the bottom of the inning and induced three straight ground balls to end the game. His ERA dropped to 7.85. Dane banged up In the bottom of the second inning, Kepler hit a double off the right field wall. Dane Myers made a leaping attempt to catch it, but missed and suffered a painful knee injury in the process. Myers was lifted onto a cart without putting any pressure on it. Myers' 2025 season is over as a right knee laceration will send him to the injured list, McCullough confirmed. Expect Joey Wiemer, who was removed from Jacksonville's playoff game moments after Myers' injury, to join the team in Philadelphia. Wiemer had just been optioned on Monday in a corresponding roster move to make room for Conine. NL Wild Card update Realistically, the Marlins need to continue to be perfect over their final five games to potentially get the third Wild Card spot, and even that may not be enough. The New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks won their matchups on Tuesday, while the Cincinnati Reds lost theirs and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Francisco Giants. The Marlins' tragic number is down to two—that is the combination of Marlins losses and Mets wins required to officially eliminate Miami from reaching the postseason. Former rotation mates Ryan Weathers and Jesús Luzardo will face off on Wednesday. First pitch is at 6:45 pm. View full article

The Miami Marlins are in agreement with two highly rated players in advance of the 2026 international signing period, sources tell Fish On First. Venezuelan shortstop Santiago Solarte and Dominican shortstop Ronny Muñoz will join the club when the signing period officially opens on January 15, with both of them due to receive bonuses of at least $1 million. The Marlins have a total bonus pool of $7,357,100. The Marlins have deals in place with 19 total players so far for the 2026 signing period, per source. The class is heavy on position player talent, in contrast to the pitcher-focused 2025 class. Solarte is ranked 16th on MLB Pipeline's Top 50 international prospects lists. He's a 50-grade prospect overall with 45-hit, 65-power, 55-run, 50-arm and 55-field tools. "Physical specimen type of build at 6’5” with raw explosiveness and top-of-scale strength," said one scout. "Advanced body control and athletic actions for someone that size and age." a9k409_1.mp4 Solarte briefly participated in Venezuela's professional summer league (LMBP), where the average player was more than a decade older than him. In nine games with Samanes de Aragua (mostly off the bench), he slashed .143/.250/.143 with one hit, one walk, two strikeouts and one stolen base. Solarte has been trained at Academia Carlos Guillén. The Marlins will also be signing outfielder Raunny Figueredo (unranked by Pipeline), who trained at that academy as well. Ronny Muñoz (#27 on Pipeline) is another 50-grade prospect (55 hit, 55 power, 60 run, 60 arm and 45 field). "Traits-based prospect with explosive raw tools that has some of the most electric hand speed I’ve ever scouted," one scout said about the 5'11" right-handed hitter. "Even though he’s on the smaller side, he really packs a punch displaying plus bat speed, raw power, plus speed and plus arm strength." Muñoz has already seen action in what are called "committed games," hitting a home run to straightaway center field. The 2025 international period remains open through December 15. Fish On First has been tracking the Marlins' signings here. View full article

The last time Miami Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine played in a major league game was on April 19 against the Philadelphia Phillies. More than five months later, he will be making his return to the Marlins lineup at Citizens Bank Park, the same place where he suffered the shoulder injury that cost him most of the 2025 season. Conine was reinstated from the 60-day injured list on Monday, heading into a three-game series against the Phillies. In his absence, Miami has shockingly played well enough to stay mathematically alive in the race for the third NL Wild Card spot. Conine, who has been in the Marlins organization since 2020, made a slow climb up the minor league ladder. Being the son of a franchise legend did him no favors as the left-handed power hitter didn't make his MLB debut until August of 2024 when he was already 27 years old. His offensive production since then has come as a pleasant surprise. In 50 total games, Mr. Marlin Jr. has slashed .274/.338/.445/.783 with four home runs and 19 RBI. His 117 wRC+ over the last two seasons combined ranks third among all Marlins players with at least 100 plate appearances, trailing only Jakob Marsee and Kyle Stowers. For what it's worth, Conine crushed the ball during his just-completed rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville. In nine games, he slashed .292/.514/.583/1.098 with two home runs and nine RBI, walking more times (11) than he struck out (9). Along with strong offensive contributions, Conine provides good defense in the corner outfield spots. He ranked in the 96th percentile in arm strength among MLB outfielders last season, per Baseball Savant. His home run robbery during the opening series of the season still stands out as arguably the catch of the year for the Marlins. 9UoLesxJ8g-iqETZ.mp4 In a small sample of 327 innings, Conine's defense has been valued at four defensive runs saved and minus-one outs above average. Trailing both the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets by four games with only six games left to play, there is a 99.9% chance that the Marlins' season ends this week without a Wild Card berth. Regardless, Conine is in agreement with Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League to get more game reps during the offseason, making up for the time that his shoulder injury took away from him in preparation for 2026. View full article

MIAMI, FL—It was a tough start to September for the Miami Marlins, mainly because they couldn't figure out how to beat the last-place Washington Nationals. In five head-to-head meetings so far this month, the Nats had won all five, and it looked as if that trend would continue on Wednesday after the Fish fell behind 3-0. This time, however, the offense came to life and the bullpen did its job perfectly to flip the game around for an 8-3 victory. It's the first time since August 1 against the New York Yankees that the Marlins have come back from a deficit of three runs or more to win. The Marlins were being shut out by Jake Irvin until a four-run bottom of the sixth inning. With both Maximo Acosta and Xavier Edwards on, Jakob Marsee drove Acosta in on an RBI single, making it a 3-1 game. Otto Lopez reached first on an RBI fielder's choice and Marsee avoided the tag at second base to produce another run. Agustín Ramírez, whose birthday was on Wednesday, tied the game with an RBI single. Eric Wagaman followed with a go-ahead RBI single himself. "Sometimes it's just more exit placement than exit velocity," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough about the sixth-inning rally. "It was nice to see us pass the baton and just keep moving along like we did and then to go to tack on as well late once we had the lead." Marsee finished with a four-hit game, his second of the season. Through 39 career games, he's now slashing .336/.404/.573/.977 with five home runs, 27 RBI and 10 stolen bases. He ranks top 10 among all qualified MLB hitters in batting average since being called up at the beginning of August. "I think it's a lot of just what we've seen since he's debuted," said McCullough. "He's hitting the ball to all fields and putting himself in good counts, swinging at the right pitches and always ready to hit. I think we continue to learn about Marsee in a short time up here (that) this guy really wants to win, and you see how he attacks every facet on the bases, defensively and in the batter's box. He's a really terrific competitor and we've just seen him from the offensive side continue to roll out one good at-bat after another." Otto Lopez gave the Marlins a two-run cushion in the bottom of the seventh inning with an RBI single, driving in Xavier Edwards. Lopez's 72 RBI put him just behind Kyle Stowers (73) for the team lead. Lopez is almost certain to finish first in that category with Stowers unlikely to return this season. In the bottom of the eighth, Edwards hit his third home run of the season. It was his first career home run at loanDepot park. Earlier on this homestand, the Marlins gave their leadoff hitter back-to-back days off hoping that the mental reset would help snap him out of an extended slump. "It's a step in the right direction," said Edwards about Wednesday's performance. "Just to show that some of the work I've been putting in hopefully is paying off." Between his previous two starts, Eury Pérez allowed a combined 12 earned runs in 4 ⅔ innings pitched. He bounced back by going 5 ⅔ innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, no walks and struck out seven. He generated 15 total whiffs, most notably seven with his four-seam fastball, which was averaging 98.0 mph and topped out at 99.8 mph. 61fd3622-a25500f2-ed165d86-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 With the win, the Marlins move to 67-78 and aim for a series split on Thursday. Fully recovered from a left lat strain, Ryan Weathers will be activated off the 60-day IL and make his first start since 6/7. First pitch is at 6:40 pm. View full article

MIAMI, FL—One of the flashiest shortstops in Miami Marlins history put on a Marlins jersey one final time on Wednesday night. Adeiny Hechavarría, who was the team's starting shortstop from 2013 through early 2017, officially announced his retirement. Hechavarría spent parts of nine seasons in MLB (2012-2020) and stayed active for several years after that in international and independent leagues. The 36-year-old last played in Puerto Rico during the 2024-25 winter ball season. "This is something that is very important to me," Hechavarría said in Spanish prior to the game. "I live in Miami, but it's been a long time since I have entered the stadium—the last time I was here was in 2020 with the Atlanta Braves. Honestly, coming back here is something that is very important to me. I feel proud because of what the Marlins are doing and I am really grateful to the team and I'm ready to have a good time." He threw out the ceremonial first pitch wearing a No. 3 Marlins Retrowave City Connect jersey (the same uniform number he had as a player). lpecry_1.mp4 Hechavarría, a native of Santiago de Cuba, signed in 2010 with the Toronto Blue Jays. During the first half of that season, he overlapped with current Marlins manager Clayton McCullough, who was managing Toronto's High-A Dunedin affiliate at the time. "Right away, this guy could really catch the ball," recalled McCullough. "It was a very smooth, almost like a spider. I can remember how wide he could get his legs and sink down to the ground and the ball disappeared in his glove with arm strength, and a real twitchy athlete that I felt had some potential with the bat. Great kid." After the 2012 season, Hechavarría was part of the biggest trade in Marlins history in terms of total players involved—he went to Miami along with Henderson Alvarez, Yunel Escobar, Jeff Mathis, Anthony DeSclafani, Jake Marisnick and Justin Nicolino in exchange for Emilio Bonifácio, John Buck, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson and José Reyes. "It was a marvelous time," said Hechavarría regarding his stint with the Marlins. "The person I remember the most is Dee Gordon. In reality, he was one of my best friends on the field because he was next to my locker. When I look back and begin to remember all the great moments establishing myself, it's emotional. All that time with José Fernández, Dee Gordon, (Marcell) Ozuna and (Christian) Yelich, all those people all joined the team almost at the same time that I did. We had some great times. The memories that I have here are very impactful for me." Hechavarría recalled being in the running for the 2014 Gold Glove. He believes he would've won it in 2015 had he not gotten hurt during the final month of that season. Overall as a Marlin, he slashed .255/.292/.336/.628 with 13 home runs, 168 RBI and a 74 OPS+. His best season was 2015, slashing .281/.315/.374/.689 with five home runs, 48 RBI and 2.6 fWAR. In 2017, the Marlins traded Hechavarría to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Braxton Lee and Ethan Clark. That created room for prospect JT Riddle to get an opportunity as the club's starting shortstop. Hechavarría was constantly on the move from that point forward, a journey that included two seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball. "They were great experiences," Hechavarría said. "I never thought that I would play there one day in Japan. I always knew from Cuba that Japanese baseball players were great and still are great, as they have won two World Baseball Classics. Baseball over there is the same game, but the culture is different. Once you are there, you adapt." Hechy (@adeiny11) • Instagram photo WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM 2,482 likes, 34 comments - adeiny11 on July 29, 2022: "the Panther 🐾🐾🐾🐾 #uff". Hechavarría told Fish On First that he still remains in contact with Strange-Gordon, Ozuna and Stanton, specifically. View full article

MIAMI, FL—Just as Miami Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers seemed to be on the verge of completing his rehab from a left oblique strain, he's been diagnosed with a right oblique strain, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough announced on Tuesday. McCullough acknowledged the possibility that Stowers' 2025 season could be coming to a close due to this setback. "Not sure exactly how long that's going to be," said McCullough pregame. "We know where we're at in the calendar. So halting the rehab right now and I think it'll take a couple of days to see what that downtime potentially looks like moving forward." Following Tuesday's loss to the Washington Nationals, the Marlins have only 17 regular season games remaining. Stowers told the media following the game that he hurt himself in his first at-bat of Friday's rehab game with Triple-A Jacksonville when fouling off a changeup low and away. He felt "pretty sore all over" on Saturday, which is why he was scratched from that day's game. "As the rest of my body began to calm down, I just noticed some tightness in my rib area and was a little bit in disbelief, to be honest with you," said Stowers. "That was when we ultimately decided to get things looked at little more." He rejoined the Marlins in Miami on Sunday. bmJCZzhfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X1V3Z0VWRjBFVWdzQVd3RUhVQUFIVndNQUFBQldXZ1FBQUFGWFZWQlRBMUFHQlZFQw==.mp4 Going into the season, Stowers' lone goal was to be on the Marlins major league roster throughout the entirety of the season. He easily surpassed expectations by becoming the team's All-Star representative and emerging as the biggest offensive threat in their lineup. In 117 games, he has slashed .288/.368/.544/.912 with 25 home runs and 73 RBI. Prior to the oblique strain, he was on pace for one of the best individual seasons by a left-handed hitter in franchise history. "I don't really want to quite put a full recap on the year yet because I don't know what the next few weeks look like, but I'm very grateful for what's happened thus far," Stowers said. Rookie right-hander Adam Mazur once again struggled on Tuesday, allowing six runs (four earned) to Washington. In what was his second straight against the Nationals, he went 4 ⅓ innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits, three walks and struck out one. Hitters were smashing Mazur's breaking balls especially hard. The biggest mistake was a slider to Josh Bell that spun over the middle of the plate, resulting in a three-run home run, which was Bell's 20th homer of the year. The Nats held the lead for the rest of the night. Mazur has a 6.30 ERA through four MLB starts this season. He could potentially make three more starts if the Marlins keep him in their rotation down the stretch. Joey Wiemer, who the Marlins claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Royals, got called up last month when Stowers went down with his initial oblique injury. Wiemer's playing time has been limited, but through 12 games, he's slashed .278/.289/.500/.789 with two home runs and seven RBI. On Tuesday, he homered in the bottom of the second inning off Nationals starter Mitchell Parker and later recorded his first walk. "The one thing that really stands out with Joey is how well he's played defensively—he's made some really terrific plays," said McCullough. "He brings some edge and some energy to to our club, and offensively, he's gotten some regular playing time. We've seen him put together really good at-bats and has put a charge in a few balls. Joey is always ready and nice to see that he's got into a little bit of rhythm here now as he's gotten some more regular opportunity." In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Marlins made it interesting, tagging the Nationals bullpen for three runs. Representing the winning run, Agustín Ramírez grounded out to end the game. Eury Pérez will look to bounce back on Wednesday after a rough start against this same Nationals team. First pitch is at 6:40 pm. View full article

Marlins outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. speaks with the media at loanDepot park after homering in Monday's loss to the Washington Nationals. Mesa also doubled earlier in the night, raising his wRC+ to 122 through his first 11 MLB games. View full video

MIAMI, FL—On the day Victor Mesa Jr. turned 24 years old, he gave himself a pretty great birthday present by hitting his first career home run. In the eighth inning on Monday night, with runners on first and second, Mesa took Washington Nationals lefty Shinnosuke Ogasawara deep. The ball left the bat at 102.1 mph and went 394 feet into the second deck in right field. The game was already out of hand, however, in what was ultimately a 15-7 Marlins loss. Mesa became the first Marlins player and the seventh MLB player in the Wild Card Era (since 1995) to hit their first career home run on their birthday. Throughout franchise history, 15 Marlins have homered on their birthday. "It's a lot of feelings right now, to be honest," said Mesa after the game. "I was a little bit disappointed because I felt like I could've been better on the first days out here, but obviously, here right now, taking it day by day, trying to support the team as much as I can. Thank God I got a great day on my birthday. It's better than what I could've dreamed of. This is a dream come true, to be honest, and a day I'll never forget." Mesa Jr., who was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville on August 31, also recorded multiple hits in a game for the first time as a Marlin. In the bottom of the fifth inning, he smacked a 104.8 mph double off of Nationals starter Cade Cavalli. That was tied for the hardest-hit ball of his young career. Mesa previously spent five days at the major league level in late May, but when it was clear that consistent playing time wouldn't be available, the Marlins sent him back down to Jacksonville. He only recorded one hit during that brief stint. "The initial first few games, someone comes up, there's so much emotion," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. "Your feet are off the ground for most of it." "At least you already have the first experience," said Mesa pregame in an exclusive interview with Fish On First. "At the end of the day, this is the big leagues, so every day you see something new that you need to adapt to. I've felt a lot better, a lot more relaxed. This time, I know what to do...I feel like I've adapted a lot more and I give a lot of credit to my teammates who have helped me." Through 11 MLB games, Mesa is now slashing .238/.360/.429/.789 with one home run and four RBI. Mesa has been limited to 57 total games this season across all levels due to a series of minor injuries. The "bad luck" has frustrated him at times. "Last year, it was a stress fracture, which could happen, but then this year it was even more weird—it was a wart in the foot and it's something I can't even control. But what I can control is what I've been doing every day because I know the hard work that I'm putting in and the talent that I have...I just turned 24. I feel that I can do a long career here, or at least that's my goal. I'm focused right now and control what I can control." Janson Junk, who was just activated off the injured list after missing a couple starts with right ulnar nerve irritation, surrendered six earned runs (tying a season-high), walking two and striking out three. His fastball averaged 93.1 mph and topped out at 94.7 mph. "It just wasn't as crisp as we've seen him, especially in that fifth inning," McCullough said. "Just seemed like he started to lack some finish to some of his pitches. Balls got elevated, they were able to put some good swings on. Not as efficient as we've accustomed to seeing him. They did a good job swinging the bats and I think there was just some mislocated pitches and maybe just not the life on the stuff there, especially towards the back half of the outing." Former Marlin Josh Bell had himself quite the game, going 4-for-6 with two home runs and six RBI. With the loss, the Marlins are now 66-78 on the season. Adam Mazur takes the ball for them on Tuesday. Mitchell Parker, whose 5.87 ERA is the highest among all qualified MLB starters this season, will toe the rubber for Washington. First pitch is at 6:40 pm. View full article

MIAMI, FL—The Miami Marlins snapped their five-game losing streak on Sunday afternoon as they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies by a final score of 5-4. Otto Lopez's first career multi-homer game accounted for most of the offensive production and six Miami pitchers combined for a solid bullpen game. Lopez was coming off a rough month of August, slashing .219/.278/.286/.564. Going back even further, he had hit only one home run in his previous 44 games. He is already off to a nice start to the final month of the season. In the bottom of the first inning, Jakob Marsee and Agustín Ramírez both knocked in base hits, setting up Lopez to hit his 13th home run of the season, giving the Marlins an early 3-0 lead. This was tied for Lopez's second-longest homer of 2025, trailing only his 429-footer against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 27. Taijuan Walker settled in after those early struggles, so the Marlins would need some insurance to fend off a Phillies comeback. In the bottom of the seventh, Lopez took reliever José Alvarado deep. That extended the lead to 5-3. "One of those days when you do a bullpen game, it's gonna take a lot of contributions," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough following the game. "I think getting some runs early offensively, then Otto's second home run—that was a really big run there late in the game." fcihv0_1.mp4 The Marlins have had 12 total multi-homer games by individual players this season. Per the Marlins, the only years in club history with more were 2008 and 2017. Maximo Acosta, who was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville prior to the beginning of the series, recorded the other RBI for the Marlins on Sunday when he drove in Heriberto Hernández with a first-inning single. Acosta had a hit in all three games this series. The rookie is now slashing .206/.270/.500/.770 with three home runs and four RBI through 12 career games. "It was what we saw towards the tail end before he was sent down for a little while," said McCullough. "As he got some at-bats under his belt, he was able to get in and have really good at-bats, lay off some pitches and he's shown surprising power. He has shown the ability to impact the ball for extra-base hits, so good-looking young player." Tyler Phillips, a former Phillies pitcher, made his first start of the season for the Marlins, giving them 2 ⅔ innings pitched, allowing one run on one hit, one walk and striking out three. In the top of the second inning, South Florida native Nick Castellanos hit an RBI triple against him that was out of the reach of a diving Jakob Marsee. Following Phillips, the Marlins deployed lefty Cade Gibson, who went 2 ⅓ shutout innings, allowing only two hits and striking out one. In the top of the sixth, Calvin Faucher surrendered a home run to loanDepot killer Trea Turner, his 15th of the season. Brandon Marsh then drove in Kyle Schwarber on an RBI single, making it a 4-3 Marlins lead. Working on seven days' rest, Ronny Henriquez contributed 1 ⅓ scoreless frames. He has not given up an earned run since July 27. Lake Bachar picked up his third save. With the win, the Marlins are 66-77 on the season and will begin a four-game set against the Washington Nationals on Monday. Janson Junk will be activated off the IL and make his first start since August 23. First pitch is at 6:40 pm. View full article

For the most part, September stats should be taken with a grain of salt. Miami Marlins fans will remember Peter O'Brien in 2018 and Jonah Bride in 2024 as cautionary tales—players who enjoyed surprising success at the end of non-competitive seasons, but quickly regressed the following year. With that being said, any additional information the Marlins front office can gather is valuable as they consider offseason moves and how current big leaguers compare to top prospects who are almost ready to be promoted. The following players in particular have something to fight for over the final 22 regular season games. Agustín Ramírez Ramírez has slumped as an all-around player to fall out of NL Rookie of the Year contention. Since last month's memorable sweep of the New York Yankees, he is slashing .191/.289/.282/.571 with only two home runs. However, there is still a lot of optimism about his bat moving forward. The "Gus Bus" leads off this article mainly because of his defensive struggles. Ramírez, who hasn't even spent the full season in MLB, leads all catchers with 15 passed balls. He has 76 stolen bases allowed with only six runners caught attempting to steal. He is also the worst-ranked backstop in terms of blocking, according to Baseball Savant. For Ramírez to catch in a part-time role in future seasons, he must show signs of progress this month. Otherwise, the Marlins will be planning for a future where he learns a new position or focuses fully on being a designated hitter. Connor Norby Expectations were high for Connor Norby entering this season, who was looking to prove himself as an everyday player. Injuries have limited Norby to 77 games and his results have been frustrating. He's slashing .247/.298/.373/.671 with six home runs, 31 RBI and an 85 wRC+. Norby has been extremely aggressive at the plate, swinging at 54.3% of pitches (MLB average is 47.3%). It just isn't working for him. His numbers have been especially bad against left-handers (.151/.279/.219/.498), so even if the Marlins used him in a platoon long term, it's hard to feel confident in how he'd do. Defensively, it isn't going any better. More than a full year since converting to third base, Norby still rates poorly (-6 OAA and -9 DRS this season). When Norby missed time this summer, Graham Pauley stepped up as a nice alternative for the Marlins at third, especially on defense. Now's the opportunity for Norby to re-establish himself as the team's best option. Since coming off the IL, Norby is slashing .333/.409/.500/.909 with five RBI. Victor Mesa Jr. Being under pressure is a blessing for Mesa, because at other points this season, it seemed as though he was not in the Marlins' plans at all. The rookie has been limited to eight MLB games, slashing .182/.357/.182/.539 with one RBI. Outfield injuries have piled up to open the door for him. Kyle Stowers is scheduled to return within the next week, but the timeline isn't as clear for Griffin Conine, Dane Myers and Derek Hill, who are also on the IL. In a tiny sample, the Marlins have already used Mesa at all three outfield spots. His speed and power don't blow you away, so the team might not be as patient with him as they would with players who have louder tools. This is an important stretch for Mesa to show he's more than a depth piece. Troy Johnston/Eric Wagaman First base has been arguably the biggest weakness for the 2025 Marlins, so expect that to be addressed this offseason. Johnston and Wagaman seem to be battling for a single spot on the 40-man roster moving forward. Johnston got off to a slow start when called up in late July, but his numbers now look more respectable. He's slashing .273/.314/.379/.693 with one home run, six RBI and a 92 wRC+ while splitting time between the outfield and first base. Wagaman is slashing .237/.288/.370/.658 with nine home runs, 45 RBI and an 80 wRC+. He ranks last among active Marlins players with -0.5 fWAR this year. But he is attempting to finish on a high note. Since the beginning of August, Wagaman has an .822 OPS. He also has the ability to fill in as a corner outfielder and third baseman in emergencies. Adam Mazur We are expecting Mazur to finish up 2025 in the Marlins rotation. Through three starts, he has posted a 5.74 ERA, 4.42 FIP, 6.89 K/9 and 2.87 BB/9. He is limiting hard contact, though that hasn't translated to overall success yet. The pressure is lower on Mazur than the other players above because he is a pitcher—the injury rate is higher, so more opportunities will present themselves in the future regardless. That being said, a great September could put him in the mix for a 2026 Opening Day rotation spot. View full article

After taking three of four against the New York Mets to begin their road trip, the Miami Marlins looked like a completely different team in DC. For the first time in three months, they were swept in a series, trailing the Washington Nationals from start to finish on Wednesday and falling by a final score of 10-5. Eury Pérez, the Marlins starting pitcher, had been unable to complete the first inning in New York. He did go further into his start this time, but surrendered a career-high seven earned runs. In four innings, Pérez allowed seven runs on eight hits, one walk and struck out two. Opposing hitters posted an average exit velocity of 98.1 mph off Pérez's four-seam fastball, which is normally his best pitch. In the bottom of the second inning, he gave up a home run to former Marlins prospect Nasim Nuñez, who had never homered in the big leagues before. Pérez also gave up an RBI double to Jorge Alfaro and RBI single to Daylen Lile. Despite its ineffectiveness, he used his fastball 50% of the time. "The command's not been great," said manager Clayton McCullough. "He's behind in too many counts and they took advantage of some pitches that probably weren't located as well and it's just part of it. Eury is going to just have to keep his head up, go back to work tomorrow. He's not the first starter that's had a couple starts that are tough. It's more about what you do about it. So fully anticipate that Eury will go right back to work when we get back to Miami and be ready for his next one." On the bright side, Joey Wiemer hit his first home run of the season, taking Nationals starter Mitchell Parker deep 403 feet to left field. The ball left the bat at 107.6 mph. It was his major league home run since 2023. "He's not too far removed from having a good start to his career in Milwaukee," McCullough said. "There's strength there. He's tough. He's a great teammate, plays good defense, so nice to see him get some regular at-bats and be able to come through offensively for us and have some nice games here on this road trip. Hopefully that just gives him confidence to take that as we get back home and get ready for the Phillies." Heriberto Hernández drove in two more runs in the same inning on a two-run RBI single, making it a 7-4 game. In the eighth inning, a passed ball from Jorge Alfaro allowed Hernández to score Miami's fifth run. Nuñez hit his second home run of the game to put the nail in the coffin, giving the Nationals a 10-5 lead, one that they wouldn't look back on. The Marlins were most recently swept by the Colorado Rockies from June 2-4, the only NL team with a worst record than the Nats. They've now dropped to 65-75 on the season. The Fish will have an off-day in Miami on Thursday before they welcome the Philadelphia Phillies for a three-game set. There has been no starter announced for what would have been Edward Cabrera's turn in the rotation. Valente Bellozo is the leading candidate to fill Cabrera's shoes. View full article

While most Americans were celebrating a national holiday on Monday, the Miami Marlins were stressed out. In the morning, they placed right-hander Edward Cabrera on the 15-day IL due to a right elbow sprain, likely ending his exciting 2025 season and putting 2026 in jeopardy as well. Things didn't get any better on the field as they were shut out by the Washington Nationals and limited to a season-low two hits, losing Xavier Edwards to an ejection mere minutes after first pitch and then removing Derek Hill due to right hamstring discomfort. Cabrera, who last started for the Marlins on Saturday, has posted a 3.57 ERA, 3.68 FIP, 9.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 through a career-high 128 ⅔ innings pitched. "He's had a remarkable season," said McCullough. "The stretch of starts that we got from him, it was over months of time that he put himself as arguably one of the best pitchers in the National League from a performance standpoint. We saw the consistency I think everyone had been hoping for out of Cabby. He proved to himself that he can go out and pitch at a really high level at the major leagues over a stretch of time. Great season for Cabby. We'll wait to get further information on what next steps will be, but it certainly won't put a damper on the productive season that he had for us." Frankly, it was a boring game. Edwards' ejection would have to be considered the top Marlins highlight because of how manager Clayton McCullough came to his defense. After grounding out in the top of the first inning, Miami's leadoff hitter continued to exchange words with home plate umpire Brennan Miller. "(Edwards) had something to say as he ran across the field," McCullough explained postgame. "Wasn't happy with his second strike call and said some more from the dugout. Brennan had heard enough." Despite loudly cursing out Miller, McCullough was allowed to remain in the game. The rookie skipper has been ejected two previous times this season. Ryan Gusto was originally lined up to work on Monday, but recently landed on the IL with an injury of his own, so it turned into a bullpen game for the Marlins. Serving as an opener, Lake Bachar lasted two innings and allowed the lone two runs of the day. Bachar surrendered an RBI triple to Washington Nationals rookie Daylen Lile, followed by a sac fly, which drove in Lile. After Bachar, the Marlins went with Cade Gibson, Seth Martinez, Michael Petersen and George Soriano, all of whom prevented the Nationals from extending their lead. Petersen was making his Marlins season debut. On the flip side, left-hander Andrew Alvarez impressed in his first-ever major league appearance. Alvarez's no-hitter was broken up by Victor Mesa Jr. in the fifth inning. Heriberto Hernández smacked his tenth double of the season in the seventh inning. That was it. Alvarez earned the win by going five shutout innings, allowing one hit, two walks and striking out four. "From the start, it really wasn't a good offensive approach," McCullough said. "We chased around—chased a lot of balls down out of the strike zone. Disappointing with what we felt were some pretty nice days offensively coming into this, and today, we just didn't. Weren't able to string any at-bats, create much traffic and any scoring opportunities." In the top of the third inning, Marlins center fielder Derek Hill was removed after running down the first base line on a grounder and beating out a throw from shortstop CJ Abrams. Hill has already made three trips to the IL in 2025. He's been limited to 53 games. "We'll just get that evaluated and have a better idea about it tomorrow," McCullough said. As announced on the FanDuel Sports Network game broadcast, Janson Junk, Ryan Weathers and Griffin Conine will all be rehabbing with Triple-A Jacksonville this upcoming week. Junk and Weathers are scheduled for rehab starts on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. They should be rejoining the Marlins rotation next week if those starts go smoothly. With the loss, the Marlins fall to 65-73 on the season. They will send out Adam Mazur on Tuesday night to make his third start of the season. Cade Cavalli will toe the rubber for Washington. First pitch from the nation's capital is at 6:45 pm. View full article