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Marlins' Christopher Morel: Looking good with glove at 1B
Rotowire
Morel handled a number of tough chances at first base without issue during the Marlins' Grapefruit League opener against the Mets on Saturday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
The 26-year-old has never played a game at first base as a professional, but after signing a one-year contract with Miami in December, Morel got to work over the winter to learn the new position. He compared the footwork necessary around the bag to learning a popular dance in his native Dominican Republic. "It's more the feet when you go to cover first base, trying to put your feet correctly," Morel said after Saturday's game. "But we're getting better. Today, we got a few ground balls, and I'm trying to dance bachata today. We need to dance bachata to be a first baseman." While getting his glovework in order is a good first step, he'll likely need to improve his offensive contributions as well to secure a full-time role at first base -- over the last two seasons between the Cubs and Rays, Morel launched 32 homers with 15 steals in 257 games but slashed just .204/.288/.363 with a 29.3 percent strikeout rate.
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Marlins' Jakob Marsee: Swipes bag to kick off spring
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Marsee went 1-for-2 with a walk, two runs scored and a stolen base in the Marlins' Grapefruit League game against the Mets on Saturday.
The 24-year-old got the start in center field and hit leadoff, swiping his first bag of the spring after drawing a leadoff walk against Joe Jacques in the sixth inning. Marsee stole 60 bases in 80 attempts between Triple-A and the majors last season, and while that middling success rate may limit the number of green lights he gets once Opening Day rolls around, hitting regularly at the top of the order should still give him plenty of opportunities to take an extra base.
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Marlins' Robby Snelling: Makes statement to start spring
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Snelling tossed a perfect first inning in the Marlins' Grapefruit League game against the Mets on Saturday.
Getting the start in Miami's spring opener, Snelling faced Marcus Semien, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette and retired them on just 10 pitches (six strikes). The young left-hander doesn't have a clear path to a spot in the Opening Day rotation following the signing of Chris Paddack, but after an astonishing close to the 2025 campaign with Triple-A Jacksonville in which he posted a 1.27 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 81:17 K:BB over 63.2 innings, Snelling could force the Marlins to make a tough choice with a strong performance in camp.
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Marlins' Janson Junk: Sheds walking boot
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Junk (ankle) played catch Saturday without a boot, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
Junk began wearing a boot as a precaution after suffering a mild right ankle sprain during a drill Tuesday. Now that he's resumed throwing, he could also soon be cleared to appear in Grapefruit League games, though the Marlins have yet to confirm when that will happen.
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Marlins' Janson Junk: Has mild ankle sprain
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Junk has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 mild right ankle sprain, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
Junk suffered the injury during a drill Tuesday. It's unclear when the righty might be ready to pitch in games, but he said Thursday that he's "not concerned that this is gonna be a multi-week thing." While the injury is minor, it will not help Junk's bid for a spot in the Marlins' rotation.
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Marlins' Robby Snelling: Gets nod to open spring schedule
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Snelling will start for the Marlins in their Grapefruit League opener Saturday against the Mets, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
The southpaw is set to work only one inning, but Snelling is in camp looking to make as many good impressions as possible. Miami doesn't have a spot for him in the Opening Day rotation after signing Chris Paddack, but after being named the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2025, Snelling could be the next man up in case of an injury. The 22-year-old delivered a dazzling 1.27 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 81:17 K:BB over 11 starts and 63.2 innings for Triple-A Jacksonville last season after a mid-July promotion from Double-A.
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Marlins' Andrew Nardi: Dealing with blister
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Nardi is a few days behind schedule due to a blister on his pitching hand, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
Nardi was able to throw Tuesday, so it doesn't seem to be a significant setback. The lefty reliever will be held out of the first few Grapefruit League contests, but his prep for the regular season shouldn't be affected. Nardi missed the entire 2025 campaign with back issues, but if he's healthy in 2026, he'll likely fill a high-leverage relief role in Miami.
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Marlins' Anthony Bender: Nursing shin injury
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Bender is slightly behind schedule in Marlins camp due to a shin injury, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
It's not clear how or when Bender sustained the injury, but he threw a bullpen session Tuesday. The veteran reliever will not appear in Grapefruit League games right away, but it's not a significant setback. Bender is slated to serve in a setup role for the Marlins in 2026.
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Marlins' Janson Junk: Wearing boot after rolling ankle
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Junk was wearing a boot on his right foot after rolling his ankle Tuesday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
Initial testing on the ankle was good, and the Marlins are saying the boot is merely precautionary. Junk had been slated for a pitch-design session Wednesday, but he'll be evaluated by a doctor that day instead. Consider him day-to-day for now. The 30-year-old is competing for a spot in the Marlins' rotation but is more likely to fill a long-relief role.
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Marlins' Kyle Stowers: Ready to go for spring training
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Stowers (obliques) took live batting practice Monday in the Marlins' first full-squad workout of spring training, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.
Stowers didn't play for the Marlins after mid-August last season after suffering a Grade 1 left oblique strain before injuring his other oblique during a minor-league rehab assignment, but he appears to be back to full health entering his age-28 campaign. He's coming off a breakout 2025 season in which he earned his first All-Star nod while slashing .288/.368/.544 with 25 home runs, five stolen bases, 73 RBI and 61 runs over 117 games. Stowers will be penciled into an everyday role in the heart of what could be an improved Miami lineup in 2026.
Faucher will make $1.8 million in 2026 after losing his arbitration hearing with the Marlins on Saturday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Faucher had filed for $2.05 million, but he'll receive the lower of the two figures after posting a 3.28 ERA and 1.28 WHIP across 60.1 innings in 2025. The 30-year-old collected 15 saves while serving as Miami's primary closer last season, but he'll likely be relegated to a setup role in 2026 while new addition Pete Fairbanks works the ninth inning.
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough announced Friday that Paddack will be included in Miami's starting rotation to begin the season, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
The right-hander signed with the Marlins earlier this week and will be guaranteed a rotation spot despite posting a 5.35 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 112:37 K:BB across 158 regular-season innings between the Tigers and Twins last year. That workload was a career high and was the first time since Paddack's rookie year in 2019 that he topped 110 frames. He's never come close to replicating the 3.33 ERA he posted during his debut campaign, however.
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Marlins' Sandy Alcantara: Working on sweeper
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Alcantara is incorporating a sweeper into his pitch mix, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
The 30-year-old righty began working on the pitch this offseason, and Alcantara is already comfortable enough with it that he threw nine of them during a pitch-design session Thursday, getting a swing and miss from Javier Sanoja on one sweeper. "Me and [pitching coach Daniel Moskos] had a conversation last year about that," Alcantara said. "We need a pitch that breaks more and is more slow. Finally, we have it." Alcantara has a strong finish to 2025 even without the new offering, going 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 52:10 K:BB in 53.2 innings over his last eight starts -- numbers comparable to his 2022 campaign, when he won the NL Cy Young Award.
Simpson made his big-league debut in 2025, posting a 7.34 ERA and 1.83 WHIP across 30.2 innings with the Marlins. He walked 22 during that time while also serving up 1.5 HR/9. Those numbers make it little surprise that Simpson lost his roster spot, which is a move that created room for John King to officially be added to the roster.
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Marlins' Ronny Henriquez: Lands on 60-day injured list
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The Marlins placed Henriquez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.
The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Chris Paddack, whose signing was officially announced Thursday. Henriquez underwent a UCL reconstruction surgery with an internal brace procedure on his right elbow in December and will be sidelined for the duration of the 2026 season.
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Marlins' Agustin Ramirez: Working hard to improve defense
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Ramirez has committed himself this offseason to improving his defense behind the plate, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports. "I was learning something new every game," Ramirez said Wednesday about his rookie campaign in the majors. "That's what I was experiencing last season. I'm coming with that experience this year. It feels really good because you know exactly where to go and what to do."
The 24-year-old has already impressed with the offensive side of his game -- he was the first rookie catcher in MLB history to record 20 homers and 15 steals in a season -- but Ramirez's defense needs a lot of work. He spent the offseason in the Dominican Republic working on his mobility, to improve his range and ability to block balls in the dirt, but that's not the only hole in his skill set. Ramirez's minus-14 defensive runs saves in 2025 included a rough 8.8 percent caught-stealing rate, as base stealers were successful on 82 of 91 attempts against him. His bat will be a fixture in the Marlins' lineup in 2026, but if Ramirez's defense continues to be an issue, he could be moved to first base or DH considering top catching prospect Joe Mack is knocking on the door at Triple-A.
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Marlins' Braxton Garrett: Touching 95 mph in live BP
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Garrett was touching 95 mph in a live batting practice session Wednesday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
Garrett missed the entire 2025 season after December 2024 internal brace surgery on his left elbow but has no restrictions at the beginning of camp. The left-hander averaged 90.7 mph with his four-seamer in 2024 and has never averaged more than 91.5 mph with the pitch, so the fact that he's already touching the mid-90s early on in spring training is a good sign. Garrett will likely have some kind of workload restrictions in 2026, but he should have a spot in the Marlins' rotation locked up.
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Marlins' John King: Lands with Miami
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King agreed Wednesday with the Marlins on a one-year, $1.5 million deal, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Non-tendered by the Cardinals in late November, King sat on the open market for months waiting on a fully guaranteed major-league deal until the Marlins finally stepped up to the table. In Miami, King likely projects to fill a middle-relief role in front of presumptive closer Pete Fairbanks. Over 51 appearances out of the St. Louis bullpen in 2025, the 31-year-old King submitted a 4.66 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 28:14 K:BB in 48.1 innings.
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