MIAMI – The Marlins are optioning left-hander Braxton Garrett to Triple-A Jacksonville, a source told MLB.com after Tuesday’s 8-4 loss to the Braves at loanDepot park.
The club did not confirm the move.
Garrett allowed two runs over three innings in his second start back in the Majors, as manager Clayton McCullough aggressively pulled him after just 65 pitches (35 strikes).
“Brax was better than the first start, still just wasn't really consistently filling it up, and was able to wiggle out a little bit,” McCullough said before the demotion. “It was better than the previous one.”
For the second straight start, Garrett labored in the first. This time around, however, he gave up two runs on two hits and two walks.
The frame started ominously, with Garrett falling behind 3-0 to Ronald Acuña Jr. for the first of a trio of three-ball counts in the 31-pitch frame. After consecutive strikes, he missed less than 0.1 inches from the strike zone for a leadoff walk confirmed by ABS challenge rather than a strikeout.
Mauricio Dubón followed with a two-strike single and Matt Olson walked to load the bases. Garrett limited the damage to Ozzie Albies’ sacrifice fly and Michael Harris II’s two-out RBI single.
During the jam, rookie catcher Joe Mack visited Garrett on the mound to calm him down and offer positive affirmations.
Garrett bounced back with a perfect 11-pitch second, then stranded runners on the corners in a scoreless third when Heriberto Hernández made a sliding grab in shallow left.
The 28-year-old Garrett credited a mechanical adjustment for helping sync up his body.
“I felt like I could let the ball go and have confidence it'd go where I wanted [it] to,” Garrett said before the demotion. “It's all coming together slowly, slower than I'd like it, but I'm happy with the adjustment I made.
“I just went back to kind of thinking like my old self, kind of pushing towards first a little bit to keep my front side closed, because that's kind of been the problem. Just the body wanting to go, go, go, go very fast, and kind of pushing out towards first. Kind of clean that up, and it felt natural. Can definitely take that away and build on that.”
Garrett rejoined the Major League rotation last Thursday in Minneapolis after Marlins No. 2 prospect Robby Snelling sustained a left UCL sprain. He is visiting Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas on Thursday for further evaluation.
This spring marked Garrett’s return from left elbow UCL revision surgery with an internal brace, which he underwent in December 2024. He didn’t make the 2026 Opening Day rotation, so he opened the season at Triple-A Jacksonville despite being one of the club’s most reliable starters (124 ERA+) from 2022-23.
But unlike some of his rotation mates, Garrett doesn’t showcase elite velocity. He relies on pinpoint location of his pitches to retire batters. Command usually takes time to return post-procedure, as seen by Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez’s 2025 campaigns.
“The main thing is just trying to get Brax, continuing to get him back into a rhythm,” McCullough said. “I think filling it up and being a little more efficient than he's been these first couple. Again, I thought it was better than the first one, but I know, and we know, that there's certainly a better version in there. It would just start with him being able to fill up the strike zone more, get that ball-to-strike ratio more in his favor, which will allow him to get into a deeper part of the game.”
With the Marlins on Day 8 of 16 gamedays in a row, the club couldn’t afford another short start (he recorded just four outs last Thursday). It will also need a fresh bullpen arm until Garrett’s spot comes up again on Sunday against the Mets.
Since a pitcher must remain in the Minors at least 15 days before being recalled – unless there’s a corresponding injured list transaction or a doubleheader – right-handers Josh Ekness and William Kempner are not eligible. Lefty Cade Gibson or righty Josh White are the logical choices, though the latter has not yet pitched in the Majors.
Once Sunday rolls around, Miami will likely decide between three 40-man options: righties Bradley Blalock and Ryan Gusto or lefty Dax Fulton, who started for Triple-A Jacksonville on Tuesday night (5 IP, ER).
Blalock and Gusto have combined for 49 MLB outings (35 starts), while Fulton has appeared just once in the big leagues. Blalock and Gusto last pitched on Friday and Saturday, respectively.