The Marlins took a hit to their bullpen on Tuesday, placing Anthony Bender on the 15-day injured list with a stress reaction in his right shin. Miami called up Zach Brzykcy from Triple-A Jacksonville to fill Bender’s spot in the relief corps.
The roster shuffle didn’t stop there. Graham Pauley was optioned to make room for Liam Hicks, who is back from the 10-day injured list.
Bender’s absence stings because he has quietly put together the best stretch of his career. Through 34 1/3 innings, he owns a 2.62 ERA and has struck out 29.3% of the hitters he’s faced, a personal high. He’s also walking just 8.6%, while piling up eight holds and two saves.
After a so-so April, Bender has been on a roll since May 1, allowing only three runs over his last 22 1/3 innings. That performance earned him more important assignments, too.
He spent most of the first two months in middle relief, but in June he has been handling the highest-leverage spots of any Marlins reliever. He’s third on the team in holds, trailing only Michael Petersen and Calvin Faucher.
Miami’s bullpen has leaned on depth more than star power. Pete Fairbanks is the biggest name in the group, though he hasn’t had a good season.
Even so, the unit has been one of the better ones in baseball, sitting fifth in ERA at 3.25 and fourth in strikeout rate at 24.2%. This month, the Marlins are one of just four teams with a bullpen ERA under 3.00, and that has helped fuel a 19-6 run that has pushed them back into the NL Wild Card race.
The team did not offer a timetable for Bender’s return. It’s the same injury he dealt with in the middle of August last year, when he was ruled out for the season right away.
Miami was essentially out of the playoff hunt then, though technically still alive into the final weekend, so that shutdown may have been more caution than anything else. For now, Petersen, Faucher, Lake Bachar and left-hander John King look like the setup options while Bender is sidelined.
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