NEW YORK -- Marlins right-hander Janson Junk became the latest pitcher to land on the 15-day injured list, though his timeline is expected to be much shorter than his teammates.
Junk, who was scheduled to start Sunday's series finale against the Mets at Citi Field, will be sidelined for two to three weeks with right shin bone inflammation. Miami went with a bullpen game and used seven pitchers, including position player Javier Sanoja, in a 10-1 loss on Sunday at Citi Field. The Marlins have dropped a season-high five games after giving up double-digit runs for the first time in 2026.
"Janson's been dealing with it for several starts, and it was manageable," manager Clayton McCullough said pregame. "The last start in Toronto, last few innings, some of the discomfort increased, and as we got here to New York in preparation for his next start, it wasn't trending well. Taking that into account, it being his plant leg, drive off leg, get some time off his feet. We're encouraged. We believe it's potentially going to be a two-or-three-week thing. Let the inflammation get out of there, and we'll see how he responds. So make that decision to get him a couple weeks down to just let it calm down."
After winning an Opening Day rotation spot, Junk had a 4.80 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP through 11 starts. He compiled a 2.82 ERA over his first seven outings, then had two big blowups over a four-start stretch (8.31 ERA). On Monday in Toronto, Junk gave up just one run over five innings to pick up the win.
Junk said he initially felt the soreness every time he rotated his back leg in his May 9 start against the Nationals in Miami, where he allowed four runs over six innings, to begin this rough span. Junk didn't think much of it at the time, but once it lingered, he alerted the training staff. Junk admitted to not being able to jump or run over the past weeks because it would irritate him.
"This week, kind of just wasn't feeling great at all," Junk said. "My bullpen yesterday, that's where we made the decision to try to look at this, pinpoint exactly what it is, and have a better plan about how to attack. I was still able to do my job, I feel like, but maybe subconsciously I was compensating for it a little bit, and I think that this week was the first week where I thought I don't know how tomorrow is going to go.
"Just having that little bit of doubt at this level I think was just not a good recipe, so being able to get checked out is kind of, I think, the right thing to do, and ultimately was the right thing. We kept on trying to deal with it and manage it. Who knows if I went out there and had been a detriment to the team or to myself? It could have got worse. So, I think we got it at the right time."
This month alone, Miami has lost starters Robby Snelling (season-ending elbow surgery) and righty Eury Pérez (right leg, eight weeks) to injuries. Southpaw reliever Andrew Nardi (rib cage) learned he will be out three months. Because of this timing, Junk was initially hesitant to say something and deal another blow to the pitching staff.
"Not being my arm, I'm trying to push through it as much as I can," Junk said. "If I'm out there able to throw strikes, compete, I'll push through it, but this got to the point where I kind of thought that I might risk the team, going out thinking I'm good, and then getting pulled in the first inning. That's not good for the 'pen, it's not good for anybody."
The Marlins have yet to announce a replacement for Pérez’s rotation spot, which comes up on Tuesday in Washington, and they must now come up with someone else for Junk’s next turn (Saturday against the Rays in Miami). Since there are off-days sandwiched between that weekend series, the club could elect to go with a traditional starter or a bullpen game.
Forty-man options include righties Ryan Gusto and Bradley Blalock as well as lefties Braxton Garrett and Dax Fulton. Gusto seems poised to take over for Pérez after throwing 25 pitches across two relief innings on Friday for Triple-A Jacksonville. Righty Josh White received his first Major League callup as the corresponding roster move for Junk, making him and fellow rookies William Kempner and Josh Ekness as well as the aforementioned Minor League candidates, possibilities.
White retired the first two batters of the sixth before issuing four walks, hitting a batter and surrendering a grand slam to Juan Soto in a five-run frame.
"We have a number of guys that can be used in this multiple-inning role, and I think right now it's just kind of all hands on deck, and guys would just go pitch as long as they're out there," McCullough said.