Anthony

Bender

McMillon’s velocity was down, and the Marlins got him out of the game quickly. “I knew something was up the second pitch,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “I went out there -- he said he didn’t feel right, so that’s when we pulled him.” McMillon was one potential closing option for the Marlins with Calvin Faucher on the IL, but Anthony Bender and Declan Cronin were probably ahead of him in line for saves.

Bender has wrapped up a minor league rehab assignment and will remain stationed at Triple-A Jacksonville as extra relief depth. The 29-year-old has been out since mid-August due to a shoulder impingement.

The 29-year-old hurler has been sidelined since August 15 with a right shoulder impingement. He should only need a couple of outings at the Triple-A level before he’s cleared to return to the Marlins’ bullpen. Now what role he assumes upon that return is anyone’s guess, but he could factor into the mix for saves.

No injury designation at this time, but we’re expecting there to be some clarity on Bender’s status ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Mets. Given his history of elbow issues, it’s hard to be optimistic here. The 29-year-old righty holds a serviceable 4.00 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 50/13 K/BB ratio across 45 innings (50 appearances) this season after missing the previous year due to injury.

Faucher appeared to be the first choice for saves in the Miami pen with Tanner Scott gone, though he would have needed to go two innings in order to close out this one. We don’t know if that was actually the plan, but it might have been, considering that the two guys we’d look at as the most likely alternatives in the ninth, Anthony Bender and Andrew Nardi, worked the sixth and seventh, respectively, tonight. That Faucher, who came in with a 2.95 ERA, had a nightmare outing might make it more likely that Bender or Nardi gets the next chance.

As a lefty with a 1.89 ERA in 123 2/3 innings since the beginning of 2023, Scott was the top reliever available in trade and commanded a strong return from the Padres. This deal will cost him most of his fantasy value, since he’ll rarely get save chances unless Robert Suarez gets hurt. Still, he’ll probably be big for the Padres if they can put together a playoff run. The Marlins could now use Calvin Faucher or Anthony Bender in the ninth, though they’re probably not going to have much to save the next two months.

Bender has made a pair of scoreless appearances this spring as he makes his way back from Tommy John surgery that he underwent back in August, 2022. The 29-year-old righty figures to pitch in middle relief initially for Miami, but could eventually work his way back into high-leverage spots ahead of stopper Tanner Scott.

The 28-year-old hurler missed the entire 2023 season while recovering from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery. He’s expected to be fully healthy and ready to go for the start of spring training, where he’ll return to a high leverage role at the back end of the Marlins’ bullpen.

Bender had the procedure last Aug. 31, so it’s unlikely that he’ll make it back this year. The 28-year-old posted a 2.90 ERA in 82 appearances for the Marlins the last two seasons.

The procedure will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. The 27-year-old right-hander was limited to just 22 relief appearances this season for the Marlins and figures to miss the entire 2023 campaign.