Ryan Weathers Injured: Four to Six Weeks Out with Forearm Strain

The Miami Marlins have endured a tough start to the 2025 MLB season. Left-hander Ryan Weathers is now sidelined due to a left forearm strain.

Acquired in a 2023 trade with the Padres, Weathers had become a reliable fixture in the Marlins’ rotation. He tweaked his pitch selection and bounced back from an earlier injury in 2024.

Now, as the team braces for his absence, the strain on Miami’s rotation continues to grow. Multiple key players are already on the injured list.

Ryan Weathers’ Injury and Impact

Ryan Weathers suffered a left forearm strain that will force him to miss an estimated four to six weeks at the start of the 2025 season. While this isn’t expected to be a long-term injury, forearm issues are often unpredictable, leaving room for concern.

The 25-year-old pitcher had shown promise in early performances last year. He posted a 3.55 ERA across his first 13 starts in 2024 before sitting out three months due to a pitching hand strain. Despite the interruptions, Weathers wrapped up 2024 with respectable stats, including a 3.63 ERA, a 21.8% strikeout rate, and an impressive 46.6% ground-ball rate.

Weathers’ Role in the Marlins Rotation

Weathers’ development was a bright spot for Miami. Since joining the franchise, he made strategic changes to his arsenal, relying more on a sinker-slider-changeup mix that paid dividends in his ability to limit hard contact and get hitters to chase.

His early-season dominance in 2024 illustrated his potential to be a middle-of-the-rotation stalwart, but injuries have now become a recurring hurdle.

Growing Challenges for the Marlins’ Rotation

Weathers’ injury compounds an already challenging situation for the Marlins. The rotation, once viewed as one of baseball’s most exciting young groups, has been decimated by injuries.

The team is without Braxton Garrett, who will miss the entire 2025 season after undergoing UCL surgery. Eury Perez, the franchise’s prized pitching prospect, is still recovering from Tommy John surgery, while Edward Cabrera deals with lingering blister issues.

These injuries leave Miami scrambling to patch together a rotation capable of competing in the highly competitive NL East.

Who Will Step Up for Miami?

With Weathers sidelined, the Marlins’ rotation is expected to feature the following pitchers:

• Sandy Alcantara: The 2022 NL Cy Young winner will aim to spearhead the rotation.
• Cal Quantrill: A veteran option with innings-eating potential.
• Max Meyer: Returning from his own injury struggles, Meyer will look to prove his worth.
• Connor Gillispie: A less proven arm stepping into a starter’s role.
• Valente Bellozo or Adam Mazur: One of these names could emerge as the fifth starter in an incomplete rotation.

While Alcantara remains the standout amongst the group, questions linger about the consistency and durability of the remaining arms.

Forearm Injuries: A Potentially Lingering Concern

Forearm injuries, even ones with early optimistic recovery timelines, can be notoriously tricky. In Weathers’ case, while the Marlins are hopeful for a four-to-six-week absence, pitchers with similar injuries have occasionally faced setbacks during rehab.

The strain’s proximity to the elbow naturally raises concerns about potential complications, including ligament damage further down the road.

How Will Miami Cope?

For the Marlins, navigating this stretch without multiple key pitchers will rely on their ability to conjure depth from within their farm system or potentially pursue short-term acquisitions via trades or signings. The rotation woes only amplify an already uphill battle in an NL East division stacked with talent, including the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Mets.

What’s Next for Ryan Weathers?

While Weathers recovers, his absence could create opportunities for younger pitchers or fringe starters to prove themselves.

For the Marlins, this injury places even more pressure on a rotation that once held such promise for the organization’s future.

Fans can only hope that this latest setback is a minor one and that Weathers will resume his role as a reliable contributor sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, the Marlins must play the cards they’ve been dealt and attempt to stay afloat in one of baseball’s most unforgiving divisions.

Early-season resilience will be key as the franchise awaits the return of its injured stars, including Ryan Weathers.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Ryan Weathers Out Four To Six Weeks With Forearm Strain