Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks will undergo surgery to treat thoracic outlet syndrome, the team told reporters (via Christina De Nicola of MLB.com). Coach Anthony Bender will also undergo surgery for the stress reaction in his right shin. Fairbanks has had three stints on the disabled list this year related to nerve issues. The most recent occurred on Tuesday, and was repeated in his second appearance after the same problem kept him out of the game from August 25 to September 9. It’s something Fairbanks has accomplished throughout his career, as he also had multiple stints on the nerve-related injured list while with Tampa Bay. These were attributed to Raynaud’s syndrome, a condition that reduces blood flow to the fingers and causes numbness. Unfortunately, this year’s trio of DL placements left Fairbanks no choice but to go under the knife. It is unclear if he is expected to be ready for the start of the 2027 season. Pitchers have different schedules on their TOS returns, as there are multiple variations of the procedure. Generally, the operation is designed to reduce pressure on the nerves and blood vessels in the player’s upper arm. Fairbanks was Miami’s biggest free agent acquisition last winter. His $13 million contract represented more than half of the $20.5 million guaranteed to four players on one-year contracts. The other three signatories, Chris Paddack, Christopher Morel and John King, were released. The deal with Fairbanks also didn’t go as expected, as he struggled to post a 6.31 ERA in 41 1/3 innings. He allowed home runs at a career-high rate of 1.74 per nine innings. Fairbanks struggled early in the season, and while he had an excellent run in early August, he allowed runs in four of his last five appearances. Fairbanks will return in free agency and will turn 33 in December. He’ll likely be limited to one year, but he should be able to get another major league contract, perhaps one loaded with incentives. Fairbanks still has more velocity (97.3 mph average fastball) and has struck out over 31% of opposing hitters this year. He had a six-year career as a quality, high-leverage reliever with Tampa Bay between 2020 and 2025. He should be a popular bounce-back target, but may need to return to the ninth inning with a new team. Miami’s bullpen punched above its weight during the first few months, but slumped in the second half, ranking 23rd in ERA since the All-Star break. They should get a boost with the return of 2025 Ronny Henriquez from UCL surgery, but will need multiple additions from outside the organization. They have some returning power arms (e.g. Michael Petersen, Josh Ekness, Victor Vodnik) but not much late-game experience outside of Calvin Faucher. Bender should also return, assuming the Marlins expect him to be healthy in 2027. He is arbitration-eligible once again and will get a modest raise to a $2.81 million salary. The 31-year-old right-hander pitched 34 1/3 innings of 2.62 ERA ball with a 29% strikeout rate this year.
