The Marlins announced that right-hander Max Meyer has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to July 19, with a neck strain. Fellow righty Zach Brzykcy has been recalled in a corresponding move.
The club hasn’t yet provided many updates on Meyer’s status. Per video provided by Kevin Barral of Fish on First, manager Clayton McCullough says that Meyer felt discomfort prior to the All-Star Break but felt good after getting some extra rest during that break. Unfortunately, the discomfort cropped up again in his first start out of the break. He’ll now see a specialist to get more information and a clearer timeline.
Even if the issue proves to be minor, it’s a blow for the Fish. Meyer has been a huge part of the club’s success this year. He has logged 111 innings over 20 starts, allowing 2.68 earned runs per nine. He has a strong 26.2% strikeout rate while his 8.9% walk rate and 41.2% ground ball rate are both roughly league average.
Losing that kind of production would be a blow under any circumstances but it’s particularly noteworthy for the Marlins. They were red hot not too long ago but have just lost six in a row, dropping them to 52-48, effectively tied with the Cardinals and Pirates for the final National League Wild Card spot.
The rotation depth has looked precarious for a while. They released Chris Paddack earlier this year to make room for youngsters like Robby Snelling and Thomas White. Unfortunately, Snelling required internal brace surgery after just one big league start. White hasn’t yet been called up and is probably done for the year due to a capsular sprain in his throwing shoulder.
The Marlins have nonetheless been playing good ball in recent weeks, prior to the six-game losing streak, with a rotation consisting of Meyer, Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez, Tyler Phillips and Janson Junk. With Meyer now out of action for at least a couple of weeks, they will have to reach into their depth.
Ryan Gusto is currently in a long relief role in the bullpen and could factor in as a starter or bulk guy behind an opener. Dax Fulton was stretched out in the minors before being recalled last week but he now hasn’t pitched in over two weeks. Braxton Garrett has been pitching well in the minors but the Marlins seemingly don’t trust him much, as he hasn’t been called up for similar opportunities earlier in the year. Bradley Blalock is on the 40-man but not having great results on the farm. Prospect Karson Milbrandt hasn’t had success at Triple-A yet.
The Marlins are expected to act as buyers at this year’s deadline. Even before this Meyer injury, the rotation seemed like an area for them to bolster. Unless Meyer is able to make a very quick recovery, this could add to their urgency in that department, assuming they stay in the race over the next two weeks.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
