Miami Marlins right-hander Janson Junk saw his first rehab start cut short after a 106 mph line drive struck his left wrist in the third inning while pitching for Triple-A Jacksonville, adding a new injury concern to his comeback from right shin bone inflammation.
Junk threw 2 2/3 innings in the outing, allowing three hits and one home run while striking out three. He threw 42 pitches, 30 of them strikes, and did not issue a walk. There was no immediate update on his wrist.
The assignment marked Junk’s first game action since being placed on the 15-day injured list on May 28. Before the injury, he held a 3-5 record with a 4.80 ERA in 11 starts after earning the fifth spot in Miami’s Opening Day rotation over Braxton Garrett.
“It’s exciting,” manager Clayton McCullough said ahead of the rehab outing. “We hope that in the not-too-distant future Janson rejoins us as well, and then you get back to having the full starters that we started the season with.”
McCullough made clear the plan for Junk’s return. “Janson is a really good pitcher, and we’ll be excited when he’s able to come back here and join us. So, encouraging that he’s able to take that next step,” McCullough said, adding: “Junk will come back in the rotation.”
Since Junk’s absence, Ryan Gusto and Tyler Phillips have filled out the rotation behind Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez and Max Meyer after Chris Paddack was designated for assignment on May 5. The wrist injury now clouds the timeline for Junk’s return to the Marlins’ staff.