JUPITER, Fla. – Marlins left-hander Andrew Nardi felt fine in the buildup to Tuesday afternoon’s Grapefruit League game.
That is until 566 days’ worth of jitters and nerves swarmed him as he warmed up in the home bullpen at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
Nardi, who had not pitched in a game since Aug. 21, 2024, struck out the side in a scoreless fifth inning while facing three members of the Nationals’ 40-man roster. He needed just 14 pitches (11 strikes) to dispose of a switch-hitter and two lefties on a pair of sliders and a four-seamer.
“I was just having fun out there and pitching,” Nardi said. “I don't think it felt quick, but it felt, I don’t know, it just felt good. I was definitely tuning things out. I was just trying to keep it one breath at a time, one pitch at a time, and it worked out great.”
From 2023-24, Nardi earned a reputation as one of the Majors’ better firemen by stranding inherited runners at a high rate. He posted a 3.79 ERA in 107 innings spanning 122 appearances during this stretch, but the workload appeared to catch up when he landed on the injured list with left triceps inflammation, and later for a left elbow muscle injury.
The 27-year-old then missed the entirety of the 2025 season with recurring back trouble. He tried all sorts of treatments, including an epidural, that didn’t stick. This spring, Nardi got delayed by a fluke gym incident that caused a blood blister to form on a finger.
“I want to put last year into the past for sure, but last year was a grind for me, mentally and physically,” Nardi said. “I still didn't even feel good until towards the end of the offseason, so I was still concerned. But thankfully, in January, my back took a turn, and now we're just progressing and feeling better each time. I think time was just needed to let it heal, and my body just needed to get used to being under stress again. So I think [it’s] just time.”
After such a long hiatus, there was uncertainty as to how Nardi would look on the mound.
Nardi’s velocity, which was in the 80s at the start of camp, has steadily improved on the back fields. In 2024, his four-seamer averaged 94.0 mph. Nardi finally let loose with the extra adrenaline, maxing out at 94.6 mph on Tuesday. According to manager Clayton McCullough, Nardi's stuff looked crisp. He landed his breaking ball and expanded the zone when he wanted to.
“Even if today hadn't gone the way it did, with how he performed, it still would have been a win on so many fronts,” McCullough said. “Just even sweeter, probably, for him to go out there and execute and perform like he did.”
Due to the amount of time Nardi missed, he could begin the season at Triple-A Jacksonville. There are still things to check off, like how he responds after appearances and pitching on back-to-back days.
Miami’s projected bullpen includes Pete Fairbanks, Calvin Faucher, Anthony Bender (who struck out two batters in a scoreless fourth inning in his Grapefruit League debut on Tuesday), John King, Tyler Phillips, Cade Gibson and Lake Bachar.
Fairbanks and King are the veteran newcomers. King, whom the Marlins signed to a Major League deal at the beginning of spring, Gibson and Nardi are the only lefty relievers on the 40-man roster. McCullough said before Tuesday's game that the arm side of a pitcher didn’t matter for the bullpen construction.
Whether it’s on Opening Day or sometime down the road, Nardi could yet again be a valuable piece out of the bullpen.
“Everyone knows in '23 when Nardi's right that he's going to be a weapon for us, which is huge coming from the left side,” said Bender, who had been dealing with a right tibia issue since last August. “We've got a lot of righties in there. Taking a year off and getting back out, there is a lot of jitters, sometimes emotional stuff in there. So [you] want him to go in there, run in, and [to] punch out the side's pretty awesome to see.”
Added Nardi: “I'm excited. It was just great to throw after Bender today. Hopefully I'll do that in the season this year again.”