Florida Sports Wires

From Florida Sports Wires JACK SONVILLE (www.jaxsportsnews.com)  – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp outfielder Cam Cannarella and infielder Juan Matheus have earned the Miami Marlins’ Minor League Player and Student of the Year awards, respectively, the Marlins announced Friday.   Outfielder Matthew Etzel was named the Jacksonville Team MVP, with current Jumbo Shrimp outfielder Brandon Compton earning the same honor for Double-A Pensacola.  Cannarella began the 2026 campaign with High-A Beloit, batting .394/.439/.577/1.039 in 19 games before earning a June 2 promotion to Pensacola. The Hartsville, S.C., native continued to excel with the Blue Wahoos, hitting .344/.453/.607/1.060 in 34 games prior to earning a promotion a month and a half later to Jacksonville.  The Marlins’ supplemental first round pick (43rd overall) out of Clemson in 2025, Cannarella reached base in 41 of the 45 games he played with the Jumbo Shrimp, slashing .282/.393/.420/.813 with 15 doubles, three ho...

Special to Florida Sports Wires JACKSONVILLE (www.jaxsportsnews.com)  – Miami Marlins right-handed pitcher Anthony Bender is scheduled to join the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on Tuesday to begin an injury rehabilitation assignment with the club’s 7:45 p.m. ET first pitch at the Memphis Redbirds from AutoZone Park. Bender was placed on the injured list on June 30 with a right shin stress reaction. He had pitched in 35 games for Miami prior to his injury, going 1-1 with a 2.62 ERA. Over 34.1 innings, the 31-year-old had yielded only 21 hits and 12 walks while striking out 41.  A native of Petaluma, Calif., Bender was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 20th round of the 2016 draft out of Santa Rosa Junior College (Calif.). He reached as high as High-A Wilmington in the Royals’ organization before getting released during Spring Training in 2019.  Bender latched on with independent Sioux City of the American Association, pitching in two games before signing a m...

  JACKSONVILLE (SportsDay). – Right-handed pitcher Karson Milbrandt will represent the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and Miami Marlins at the 2026 MLB All-Star Futures Game in Philadelphia, Pa., at Citizens Bank Park. Milbrandt joins former Jumbo Shrimp and currently active Marlins Max Meyer (2021) and Joe Mack (2025) as active Jumbo Shrimp players since 2021 to earn a selection. The 22-year-old is currently ranked the No. 98 prospect in MLB and the No. 4 prospect in the Marlins farm system per MLB Pipeline.  Milbrandt was Miami’s third round selection in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Liberty (Mo.) High School. He began the 2026 campaign with the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos, where he posted a 4-1 record and 1.34 ERA in 47.0 innings across nine starts while recording 70 strikeouts. Milbrandt became the first Blue Wahoo to earn back-to-back Southern League Pitcher of the Week honors. He received his first award after his start on May 16, when he pitched six shutout innings and struc...

  Special to SportsDay Media JACKSONVILLE (SportsDay) – Miami Marlins right-handed pitcher Janson Junk is slated to join the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on a rehab assignment beginning with Sunday’s 2:05 p.m. contest against the Memphis Redbirds at VyStar Ballpark. Junk was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 28 with right shin bone inflammation. He has started 11 games for the Marlins this year with a 3-5 record and 4.80 ERA in 60.0 innings pitched.  Junk appeared in ten games (nine starts) for the Jumbo Shrimp in 2025, posting a 5-3 record and 2.68 ERA in 50.1 innings pitched with 48 strikeouts to just seven walks.  The 30-year-old hurler was a 2017 22nd round selection of the New York Yankees out of Seattle University and has logged time at the major league level with the Los Angeles Angels (2021-22), Milwaukee Brewers (2023-24), Oakland Athletics (2024) and Miami Marlins (2025-26).  The Marlins acquired Junk via minor league free agency on February 10, 2025. ...

JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp catcher Brian Navarreto was honored with the Miami Marlins’ inaugural Next Wave monthly awards for April, taking home the organization’s Fish of the Month.  The Marlins’ Fish of the Month award recognizes a player who fully embodies what it means to be a great teammate within the Marlins’ organization.  Navarreto has played in 12 games with the Jumbo Shrimp in 2026, going 10-for-40 (.250) at the plate with four doubles, one home run, five RBIs, one walk and four runs scored. A native of Levittown, Puerto Rico, Navarreto came to Florida to attend Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville. He was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the sixth round of the 2013 draft, and reached as high as Double-A Pensacola before being traded in July of 2019 to the New York Yankees.  Following the 2019 campaign, Navarreto signed a minor league contract with Miami. He made his major league debut on August 23, 2020, going 2-for-3 in a game at the Wa...

  JACKSONVILLE ( Florida Sports Wire ) – Former Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp left-handed pitcher Dax Fulton became the fourth Jacksonville alumnus in as many days to make his major league debut when he did so on Wednesday for the Miami Marlins against the Balitmore Orioles at loanDepot park. Fulton filled a long-relief role for Miami, working 4.0 innings of relief. He yielded two runs on three hits with three strikeouts against a pair of walks in the Marlins’ 7-4 loss to the Orioles. Originally selected by Miami in the second round of the 2020 draft out of Mustang High School (Mustang, Okla.), Fulton reached Jacksonville for the first time during last season’s run to the Triple-A National Championship. He made four starts for the Jumbo Shrimp following a promotion from Double-A Pensacola, striking out 19 in 16.1 innings. He began the 2026 campaign with Jacksonville, making five starts out of seven appearances, and registering 24 strikeouts in 20.0 innings of work. The 2025 campaign w...

JACKSONVILLE – Former Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp infielder Deyvison De Los Santos and right-handed pitcher Matt Pushard made their major league debuts on Sunday, becoming the first Jacksonville alumni to debut in The Show in 2026. De Los Santos went 1-for-2 with a double for Miami in the Marlins’ 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies at loanDepot park. Pushard tossed 1.0 inning for St. Louis in the Cardinals’ 11-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Busch Stadium. A 22-year old from Santo Domingo, De Los Santos was originally signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 2, 2019 as an international free agent. After reaching Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno in 2024, De Los Santos was traded along with outfielder Andrew Pintar to Miami in exchange for left-handed pitcher A.J. Puk.  The 2024 campaign was De Los Santos bat a combined .294/.343/.571/.914 with a Minor League Baseball-leading 40 home runs and 120 RBIs. He also led MiLB in total bases (307) while ranking in the top 20 in the min...

JACKSONVILLE – Miami Marlins infielder Otto Lopez will begin an injury rehabilitation assignment for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Lopez was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 4 with a right ankle sprain, retroactive to May 3. Thus far in 2025, he has played in 30 games for the Marlins and slashed .229/.294/.330/624, walking 10 times while driving in 11. Born in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic before spending part of his childhood in Montreal, Lopez was originally signed by the Toronto Blue Jays on July 4, 2016 as an international free agent. He played in Toronto’s system before making his major league debut for the Blue Jays on August 17, 2021 in a game against the Washington Nationals. In 2022, Lopez was 6-for-9 at the plate in eight games with Toronto. He played the entirety of the 2023 campaign with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in Western New York, slashing .258/.313/.343/.656 with nine doubles, six triples, two home runs, 35 RBIs, 48 runs and 13 steals in 84 games. ...

  JACKSONVILLE - Former Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp right-handed pitcher Elvis Alvarado made his major league debut Friday for the Athletics against the New York Yankees at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. Alvarado came out of the bullpen and worked 1.2 innings with two strikeouts, though the A’s lost 10-2 to the Yankees. A member of the 2024 Jumbo Shrimp, Alvarado appeared in 39 games for Jacksonville last season, going 3-4 with a 2.79 ERA. Over 48.1 innings, he ceded just 33 hits (6.1 H/9) and struck out 71 (13.2 K/9). Following the season, Alvarado signed a major league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was designated for assignment on January 29 and claimed the next day by the A’s. Originally signed by the Washington Nationals in 2015 as an outfielder, Alvarado made his professional debut in 2017 before transitioning to the mound for the 2018 season. At the 2019 trade deadline, he was sent as part of the package to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for right-hander Hunter...

  JACKSONVILLE – Former Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp left-handed pitcher Patrick Monteverde made his major league debut Saturday for the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Monteverde came out of the bullpen for the Marlins, striking out four in 3.2 innings of work in the Marlins’ 11-10 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies. A native of Pittsburgh, Monteverde began his collegiate career in 2017 at Division III Virginia Wesleyan. He transferred to Division II Seton Hill for three seasons before transferring to Texas Tech for the 2021 season, when he pitched to a 7-4 record and 3.75 ERA with 101 strikeouts in 86.1 innings. Miami selected Monteverde in the eighth round of the 2021 draft. The southpaw reached Triple-A Jacksonville for the first time in 2023. He pitched in 19 games, including 15 starts, with the Jumbo Shrimp between 2023-25, posting a 6-5 record and 71 strikeouts against 38 walks in 88.0 innings. Monteverde is the second former Jumbo Shrimp to debut in the m...

JACKSONVILLE  – Miami Marlins’ right-handers JT Chargois and Bryan Hoeing will begin injury rehabilitation assignments for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp this week, when they take on the Gwinnett Stripers from Coolray Field. Chargois appeared in 46 games in 2023 for Miami. The righty was slated to be a part of the Marlins 2024 Opening Day roster before a neck injury placed him on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to March 25). After making a rehab stint with Jacksonville from April 21-27, Chargois was placed on the 60-day injured list on May 12.   A native of Sulphur, La., the Marlins acquired Chargois and Xavier Edwards on November 15, 2022 in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Marcus Johnson and Santiago Suarez. Chargois appeared in 46 games with Miami last season, going 1-0 with a 3.61 ERA in 42.1 innings. He also made three rehab appearances with Jacksonville in 2023, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings.   Chargois was originally selected ...

 J ACKSONVILLE -   Miami Marlins’ right-handed pitcher JT Chargois will begin an injury rehabilitation assignment for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in Sunday’s 3:05 p.m. contest against the Norfolk Tides from 121 Financial Ballpark. Chargois appeared in 46 games in 2023 for Miami. The righty was slated to be a part of the Marlins 2024 Opening Day roster before a neck injury placed him on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to March 25).  A native of Sulphur, La., the Marlins acquired Chargois and Xavier Edwards on November 15, 2022 in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Marcus Johnson and Santiago Suarez. Chargois appeared in 46 games with Miami last season, going 1-0 with a 3.61 ERA in 42.1 innings. He also made three rehab appearances with Jacksonville in 2023, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings.   Chargois was originally selected in the second round of the 2012 draft by the Minnesota Twins. He made his debut in June ...

JACKSONVILLE   –   Former Jacksonville Jumbo Shirmp right-handed pitcher Roddery Muñoz made his MLB debut Saturday for the Miami Marlins against the Chicago Cubs in game two of the doubleheader. Muñoz is the 997th player to don both a Jacksonville uniform and play in the major leagues, including the 160th former Jumbo Shrimp. The history of minor league baseball in Jacksonville dates back to 1904.    Muñoz started the finale of the doubleheader at Wrigley Field. The right hander hurled five innings of two-run ball, surrendering two hits and striking out seven Cubs hitters.   The Marlins received Muñoz on December 20, 2023 in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 24-year-old had began the season with Jacksonville, fanning seven hitters over 10.2 innings across three appearances.   Originally signed to a minor league contract by the Atlanta Braves on June 11, 2018 out of Santo Domingo, D.R., Muñoz spent time with the Dominican Summer League Brave...

JACKSONVILLE ( www.floridasportsday.com )  –   Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp first baseman Troy Johnston has been named the Miami Marlins Player of the Year, the organization.   A native of Puyallup, Wash., Johnston finished the season leading all of Minor League Baseball in RBIs (116) while ranking tied for third in extra-base hits (67), ninth in hits (157), tied for 10th in runs (102), 13th in OPS (.948), tied for 15th in doubles (36) and 18th in slugging percentage (.549).   Over 134 games between Jacksonville and Double-Pensacola, Johnston slashed .307/.399/.549/.948 with 26 home runs and 24 stolen bases, becoming the first Marlins minor leaguer since 2008 to post a season with at least 20 homers and 20 steals.   Upon earning a promotion on July 25 to the Jumbo Shrimp, Johnston put together a 31-game on-base streak – the longest for a Jacksonville hitter since at least 2010 and tied for the eighth-best in the International League in 2023. Over the stre...

JACKSONVILLE ( www.sportsdayjax.com )  – Former Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp reliever Robert Garcia made his MLB debut Friday for the Miami Marlins against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Garcia is the 973rd player to don both a Jacksonville uniform and play in the major leagues, including the 135th former Jumbo Shrimp.  The history of Minor League Baseball in Jacksonville dates back to 1904. Garcia entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, replacing right-hander Sandy Alcantara. He pitched 0.1 innings, allowing zero runs, one hit, and a walk for the Marlins.   Garcia was a 15th-round pick by the Royals in the 2017 MLB June Amateur Draft out of the University of California, Davis. Starting with the AZL Royals in 2017, he then played for the Idaho Falls Chukars of the Pioneer League. In 2018, he worked to a 1.94 ERA in 23 games between Rookie-level Idaho Falls and Low-A Lexington. He made the jump to High-A with the Wilmington...