The Miami Marlins have announced that right-handed pitcher Huascar Brazobán has been placed on the restricted list. He has been unable to secure a visa to enter the United States and missed the entire spring.
Craig Mish of The Miami Herald posted the news on social media Tuesday night, adding that he was told why Brazobán wasn't granted a visa but needs verification because "it's a bit of a sensitive issue."
He was delayed getting to Jupiter for spring training last year as well. It was also due to visa issues but he was able to impress manager Skip Schumaker enough to earn an Opening Day roster spot.
Marlins placed RP Huascar Brazoban on the restricted list. He was never granted a Visa to re-enter the US from the Dominican Republic and missed the entire Spring.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) March 26, 2024
The Marlins initially signed him out of the Dominican Republic. He made his major league debut out of the bullpen on July 24, 2022. In his first season, he was 1-1 with a 3.09 ERA and four holds in 32 innings pitched across 27 games.
He improved to 5-2 in 2023 with a 4.14 ERA and 13 holds. He had three save opportunities in 50 games.
The young reliever impressed the Marlins with how quickly he developed after an inconsistent 2022 season that was primarily spent with Triple-A Jacksonville. Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. said during the 2023 described him as a "super versatile" pitcher.
He has appeared in various roles from an innings eater to clean-up to high-leverage at various points throughout his short career.
"This is something that any pitcher looks for. You want to pitch when the game really matters," Brazobán said last season. "Get in, keep the team in the game. It's very exciting to be on the mound in those situations, especially when the fans get involved. That makes it even more exciting."
When setup man JT Chargois went on the injured list with an oblique strain, Brazobán stepped up and filled in for him.
"I'm watching his stuff and you've got to trust your eyes and trust your pitching staff that he can do it," Schumaker said about him last year. "He's not just a long man, but he can come in and get tough righties out and the ability to get lefties out. The ability to start doing that in spring training opened our eyes a little bit... Now that JT went down, Braz is gonna pick up some big-leverage innings for us. He showed me he can do it."
Brazobán's path to making his major league debut wasn't easy. Before the Marlins signed him ahead of the 2022 season, there was a four-season gap between MLB-affiliated teams. He had two stints in the independent Atlantic League and played winter ball in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Venezuela.
He relies on his cutter and his changeup is a solid secondary pitch and as last season progressed, he used his fastball more.
"The guy doesn't scare," Stottlemyre said. "It just seems like whether you bring him in with traffic or there's self-inflicted traffic, he never really wavers away from attacking and pitching. I like that."
Brazobán, 34, has pitched 90 2/3 innings for the Marlins over the past two years and has a 3.77 earned run average across 77 games.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
