The Miami Marlins will have to get to the end of the month without one of their more reliable bullpen arms, as Anthony Bender was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right elbow strain.
#Marlins
— Christina De Nicola (@CDeNicola13) August 14, 2022
Anthony Bender to IL with right elbow strain (exited after 5 pitches last night)
Andrew Nardi and Parker Bugg’s contracts selected from Triple-A
Tommy Nance optioned to Triple-A (threw 50+ pitches last night)
Cole Sulser transferred to 60-day IL
Bender pitched on Saturday against the Atlanta Braves, departing after just five pitches in the ninth inning. A back injury has limited Bender to just 19.1 innings pitched across 22 appearances, and that could be impacting his effectiveness. The 27-year-old has a 4.77 fielding independent pitching, with his strikeouts per nine innings decreasing to 7.9, well off last year’s mark of 10.4.
In corresponding moves, the Marlins optioned Tommy Nance to Triple-A and recalled Andrew Nardi and Parker Buggs. Both pitchers will be used to offset the loss of Bender over the coming weeks.
The Marlins conclude their three-game series against the Atlanta Braves Sunday. Miami and the Braves are scoreless early. Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook for a live line on the contest.