Another Miami Marlins pitcher is going on the injured list

A.J. Puk is the latest Marlins starting pitcher going on the IL.

Neil Raymond

A.J. Puk / Quinn Harris/GettyImages

This has been a very trying season for Miami Marlins fans. Pitching injuries have been the norm so far, with the likes of Braxton Garrett and Eury Perez still on the injured list. Now there's a new injury and this one is frustrating too. A.J Puk is going on the 15-day injured list due to shoulder fatigue.

A.J. Puk is the latest Miami Marlins pitcher going on the injured list.

A.J Puk has spent the vast majority of his career as a relief pitcher. From 2019-2022 he pitched for the Oakland Athletics, before going to the Miami Marlins prior to last season. He produced a 3.56 ERA/3.59 FIP, with 10.4 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9, in 84 games and 91.0 innings pitched. Arm injuries kept him in the bullpen and Oakland had no intention is giving him a chance as a starting pitcher to avoid more injuries.

The Miami Marlins acquired Puk as a late-inning arm. He produced a 3.97 ERA/3.59 FIP, with 12.3 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 58 games and 56.2 innings pitched. He was even the team's closer for a while, accumulating 15 saves along the way. He did struggle a bit down the stretch, getting moved to lower leverage opportunities.

Perhaps strangely, A.J. Puk convinced The Fish to give him a chance as a starting pitcher this season. I was not fond of the idea from the beginning and sadly was proven right. He has been a complete disaster as a starting pitcher this season, delivering a 9.22 ERA/6.38 FIP, with an abysmal 7.9 K/9 and 11.2 BB/9 in 4 games and 13.2 innings pitched. He's now going on the IL due to shoulder fatigue.

Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker didn't commit to removing Puk from the rotation, though that should be the obvious solution. He's not a good starting pitcher and the bullpen needs help. The resulting change should be obvious now. While pitcher wins don't really matter, he's been responsible for a Major League leading 4 losses as a starting pitcher. Move A.J. Puk to the bullpen before he gets a more serious injury.

Neil Raymond

Neil Raymond has been a lifelong Miami Marlins fan, with the 2003 playoff run being one of his favorite childhood memories. Neil has been called a "walking encyclopedia" for his knowledge of MLB statistics and the sport's history. He follows every game and actually invented his own statistic for player value on his side project BaseballAnalyzed.com. Writing for Fansided's Marlin Maniac since 2022, he also loves Fantasy Baseball and as such is an FSWA member. Neil also loves to travel, read and follow "Futbol" teams: Germany, Argentina, Greece, Inter Miami, Bayern Munich and NYC FC.