Miami Marlins left-hander A.J. Puk (shoulder) will pitch out of the bullpen when he returns to the major-league roster, according to manager Skip Schumaker. The experiment as a starter in Miami's rotation was a failed on for Puk, who is nursing fatigue in his left shoulder following just four appearances and holds a dismal 9.22 ERA, 2.63 WHIP, and a 12:17 K:BB over 13 2/3 innings. Although Puk's return timetable from the issue remains unclear, this development is bad news for the rest-of-season outlook of closer Tanner Scott, who is going to have some competition for ninth-inning work when Puk is eventually reinstated from the 15-day injured list. With Scott carrying a 3.38 ERA (5.88 FIP) and 1.68 WHIP while striking out 10 hitters and walking 12 through his first 10 2/3 frames of the 2024 regular season, it probably behooves fantasy managers to field some sell-high trade offers after Puk picked up 15 saves in 2023.

The Miami Marlins announced on Saturday that they placed left-hander A.J. Puk (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list with left-shoulder fatigue. In additional moves, right-hander Kyle Tyler's contract was selected from Triple-A Jacksonville and left-hander Josh Simpson (elbow) was moved to the 60-day IL. Right-hander Roddery Munoz was designated as the 27th man on Saturday for the team's doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs. Puk had to have his start this week pushed back multiple times due to an illness, but now he's dealing with an arm injury and will have to miss at least the next two weeks. The 28-year-old southpaw has lost each of his four starts of the season and has a 9.22 ERA and 2.63 WHIP while not going more than 4 2/3 frames in any of his outings. When Puk is ready to return from the IL, he could very well find himself back in Miami's bullpen.

Left-hander A.J. Puk (illness) has been confirmed as the Miami Marlins' starter for Thursday's series opener against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. After dealing with an illness in recent days, Puk was back at the ballpark on Wednesday playing catch and working out. The 28-year-old southpaw was pushed back twice in the rotation this week while feeling under the weather. It's good news that Puk is feeling good enough to start on Thursday, but most fantasy baseball managers will probably be wanting to stay away from him against Chicago after he's started the year by going 0-3 with a 5.91 ERA (6.90 FIP) and 2.44 WHIP with a league-leading 14 walks and just eight strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings in his first three starts.

Miami Marlins left-hander A.J. Puk (illness) is still under the weather and will not make his scheduled start on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants. Instead, lefty Trevor Rogers will move up to start in the series finale. Puk has now been pushed back twice this week, as he was originally scheduled to pitch in the series opener against the Gigantes on Monday. If the 28-year-old southpaw is feeling better later this week, there's a good chance he'll take the ball for the series opener on Thursday versus the Chicago Cubs. The former sixth overall pick by the Oakland Athletics in 2016 out of Florida hasn't fared too well in his transition to a full-time starting role in 2024 so far, posting a 5.91 ERA and 2.44 WHIP with a league-high 14 walks and just eight K's in his first three starts.

Miami Marlins left-hander A.J. Puk has been scratched from his scheduled start on Monday against the visiting San Francisco Giants due to an illness while Edward Cabrera (shoulder) will be activated from the injured list and will start in Puk's place on Monday. Puk's next start has been pushed back to Wednesday. It hasn't been a great start to Puk's season after winning a rotation job coming out of spring training as he sports a 5.91 ERA through three starts and just 10 2/3 innings of work. More concerning is his eye-popping 14 walks in those 10 2/3 frames with just eight strikeouts in that time. As for Cabrera, he has also struggled with control in his Triple-A rehab as he walked 14.8% of the hitters he faced in three starts, although he was able to escape with a 0.71 ERA.

Miami Marlins left-hander A.J. Puk will look to begin his new career as a starter on the right note when he takes on the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night. Vast injuries to the Miami rotation opened the door for Puk to at least begin the season as a starter and he took major advantage of the opportunity in Grapefruit League action. The former A's top prospect posted a tidy 1.32 ERA with a whopping 23 strikeouts against four walks across 13 2/3 innings of work this spring, all as a starter. This is Puk's first career start and it comes in a nice matchup against a Pirates team that tied for 24th with a .307 wOBA and finished 23rd with a 24.1% K% against left-handed pitching last season.

Miami Marlins pitcher A.J. Puk has been nearly unhittable early in camp. The left-hander is attempting to move into the starting rotation full-time. So far, the southpaw has lived up to the hype with another solid outing on Saturday. Puk piled up six strikeouts over 3 1/3 scoreless innings versus the Washington Nationals on Saturday. Puk has now fired 8 1/3 scoreless innings with a 15/4 K/BB ratio and a 1.20 WHIP this spring. The 28-year-old will continue climbing up draft boards if he keeps pitching like this going forward.

With Miami Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett (shoulder) now likely to open the year on the injured list due to a shoulder issue, it would appear that left-hander A.J. Puk is now the heavy favorite to open the regular season as the team's No. 3 starter. The 28-year-old southpaw has been transitioning from a relief role to a starting role this spring and has had great results, tossing five scoreless Grapefruit League innings while striking out nine and walking three. Puk's fantasy value will probably be limited because of the fact that he hasn't started a game since 2021 or pitched in a starting role full time since 2017, but he'll be intriguing to begin the year nonetheless. He had a career-high 15 saves in 2023 but also lost the closing role midway through the season due to poor performance. Puk's strikeout upside alone makes him interesting in either a starting or relief role for Miami.

Miami Marlins pitcher A.J. Puk is being stretched out as a starter as spring training gets underway. The lanky reliever has only worked out of the bullpen in the majors but was primarily a starter back in his college days at the University of Florida. He's yet to make a single start through his first 142 major league outings, according to beat writer Christina De Nicola. However, the Marlins currently have an open rotation spot and with Puk's past experience as a starter, this makes sense. In addition to Puk, Miami is also stretching out Ryan Weathers, George Soriano, and Max Meyer. Injuries have plagued Puk in the early part of his career but he's maintained relative health over the last few seasons, compiling a 3.50 ERA, 1.163 WHIP, and 154:36 K/BB ratio to go along with 19 saves over 123 innings of relief between Oakland and Miami. He's an interesting name to keep an eye on considering his past prospect pedigree. There's no guarantee he opens the year in the starting rotation but he should hold fantasy value whether he starts or comes out of the pen for the Fish.

Miami Marlins pitcher A.J. Puk is going to be stretched out as a starter ahead of the 2024 season. While there is no guarantee the club will use him out of the rotation, the current plan is for him to be stretched out in case the club has an open rotation spot next season. Once a starter in the minor leagues, the left-hander has made all of his 142 big-league appearances as a reliever. He was traded from the A's to the Marlins prior to the 2023 season and went on to toss a 3.97 ERA across 58 outings with Miami, locking down 15 saves in the process. Puk is the owner of a career 3.72 ERA across 147 2/3 big-league frames alongside 19 saves. His attractive strikeout rates make him in interesting fantasy consideration if he works out of the Marlins' rotation in 2024.

Miami Marlins right-handed pitcher A.J. Puk had another tough outing on Sunday, blowing a save opportunity in what would end up being a 3-2 win over the Colorado Rockies. Puk allowed a home run that tied the game up and then gave up another hit and a walk before being pulled with two outs in the ninth. Puk has been awful this month, blowing three saves and taking two losses while allowing nine runs (eight earned) in 7 IP. Manager Skip Shumaker said recently that Puk hadn't lost his closer job yet, but he sure didn't seem to have much confidence in him today when he pulled him after recording only two outs. Tanner Scott appears to be the next man up for the Marlins and should be a speculative add in deeper formats where saves are hard to come by.

Miami Marlins relief pitcher A.J. Puk notched another save Thursday, closing out the Boston Red Sox in a 2-0 win. Puk tossed a perfect ninth inning in this one, striking out a pair. He now has saves on back-to-back days against the Bo-Sox and is up to seven saves in June alone. The lefty now holds a stellar 2.88 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 28 strikeouts in 25 IP. He is the clear-cut closer for a surprisingly good Marlins team and has a chance to be a high-end option in fantasy provided the Marlins continue playing well and he continues pitching well.

Miami Marlins relief pitcher A.J. Puk struck out one over a scoreless inning during Thursday's 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He entered Thursday's game in the ninth inning to protect a two-run lead. The 28-year-old needed 19 pitches to make quick work of the Pirates to earn his 10th save of the year. He has converted 10-of-11 save opportunities while posting a 2.08 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 26:4 K: BB across 21 2/3 innings in 2023. Puk is Miami's primary closer, and fantasy managers should continue to start him in all league formats.

Miami Marlins relief pitcher A.J. Puk was called upon to hold a one-run lead during Sunday's game against the Chicago White Sox. The lefty reliever tossed a perfect ninth inning to help the Marlins get the 6-5 win. This save marked his seventh save of the season and his first since coming off the injured list. Puk has recorded five strikeouts across three scoreless appearances since returning. The 28-year-old appears to be the favorite for save situations in Miami, so those holding onto Dylan Floro might want to move on.

The Miami Marlins reinstated left-hander A.J. Puk (elbow) from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday and optioned pitcher George Soriano to Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move. Puk missed over three weeks with left-elbow nerve irritation, but he looked good on a short minor-league rehab assignment and is ready to rejoin the back end of Miami's bullpen this week. Before he went on the injured list, the 28-year-old southpaw reliever had six saves and was essentially the team's primary closer, so he should be picked up in any fantasy league where he was dropped. Puk could share save opportunities with Dylan Floro, but even if he's not getting saves, he can be useful for his strikeout rate and holds.

Miami Marlins left-handed reliever A.J. Puk (elbow) was in Miami on Monday after making back-to-back minor-league rehab appearances at Double-A Pensacola from June 2-3. Puk also tossed a rehab inning on May 30. Manager Skip Schumaker said "there's a good chance you'll see him soon." The 28-year-old southpaw has allowed one run on three hits while walking one and striking out four in just 2 2/3 innings over his three rehab outings to this point, and he should be expected to rejoin Miami's bullpen this week. Puk was pitching well before hitting the injured list, recording six saves, a 3.07 ERA (3.28 FIP), 1.23 WHIP, three walks and 19 strikeouts in 14 2/3 relief innings for the Fish as a high-leverage bullpen arm.

Miami Marlins relief pitcher A.J. Puk (elbow) is set to begin a minor league rehab assignment in Double-A Pensacola on Thursday. The left-hander has been sidelined since May 14 due to left elbow nerve irritation. The good news is, Puk has been progressing nicely over the last few weeks. The expectation is that Puk will only need a few rehab minor league appearances before he's ready to rejoin the MLB team. It'll be interesting to see what happens to the Marlins bullpen once Puk returns. Dylan Floro has been doing a nice job in the ninth inning, so possibly the Marlins go bullpen-by-committee once Puk returns.

Miami Marlins relief pitcher A.J. Puk (elbow) is slated to throw a 20-pitch bullpen session on Saturday. It's another step towards the 28-year-old's return to action as he works his way back from dead arm. After acquiring Puk in a trade this past winter straight up for former top-prospect JJ Bleday, Miami is likely to be in no hurry to bring their presumed closer back before he's fully recovered. Puk has six saves, three wins, and 19 strikeouts in 14.2 innings while Dylan Floro has racked up four saves in his stead. Floro should remain rostered in all leagues as the Marlins stopper until the big southpaw returns. Puk's 2023 percentile rankings on Statcast are off the charts, so he signifies a crucial hold for all fantasy managers.

Miami Marlins relief pitcher A.J. Puk (arm) is dealing with a dead arm per manager Skip Schumaker. The 28-year-old southpaw hasn't appeared in a game since Wednesday and Schumaker told reporters that he wasn't sure if he would be available on Sunday either. Puk has a solid 19:3 K/BB ratio to go along with six saves so likely Dylan Floro and/or Tanner Scott would get a save chance if he's unable to give it a go.

Miami Marlins relief pitcher A.J. Puk was asked to take the ball with a one-run lead in the ninth-inning of Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs. The 27-year-old only need 12 pitches to close the door against the Cubbies. He has been fantastic with a 0.75 ERA across 11 appearances while racking up five saves. It appears Puk is the primary ninth-inning option for the Marlins right now. He should be rostered in basically all fantasy formats going forward.