MIAMI – Marlins center fielder Jakob Marsee will undergo a UCL repair with an internal brace of his left elbow on Monday after being evaluated by Dr. Keith Meister earlier this week.
The estimated return to play is six months, meaning Marsee should be back during the early part of the 2027 season.
According to president of baseball operations Peter Bendix, Marsee began experiencing left elbow discomfort toward the end of this season.
Marsee, who appeared in all but seven of the Marlins’ games in 2026, finished his first full Major League season on a high note after flirting with the Mendoza line for the first four months.
The 25-year-old hit .231/.348/.359 with 83 runs, 19 doubles, seven triples, 11 homers, 41 RBIs and 23 steals while accumulating 2.5 fWAR. According to Baseball Savant, Marsee ranked in the 95th percentile in outs above average (nine) and in the 78th percentile for arm strength (88.6 mph).
“Credit to Jakob,” Bendix had said before the injury evaluation. “He was banged up all season with a lot of different things, not just the elbow, a lot of things, [and] never went on the IL. Continued to play through, and not only that, but had an incredible stretch at the end of the season. So, [he] showed a lot of grit and resilience, and I'm sure he will have that same grit and resilience to whatever comes from this visit to Dr. Meister.”
Esteury Ruiz and Javier Sanoja were the only others to appear in center field for the Marlins during the 2026 season, so they are internal options to fill in during Marsee's absence.
Marlins No. 5 prospect Cam Cannarella, who was named the organization’s Player of the Year, is another candidate. The 23-year-old slashed .324/.422/.512 with 15 homers, 21 steals and 57 RBIs in 98 combined games between three Minor League levels (High-A Beloit, Double-A Pensacola and Triple-A Jacksonville) en route to MLB Pipeline Second Team honors.
Miami also announced that reliever Tyler Zuber will undergo a UCL repair with an internal brace of his right elbow on Monday.
His estimated return to play is 10-12 months, so Zuber is expected to miss the majority and/or possibly all of the 2027 season.