Andrew Nardi needs elbow surgery, 2027 now in doubt too

Andrew Nardi just can't catch a break. The Marlins reliever is set to undergo elbow surgery, a development first reported Monday, and depending on which procedure he needs, this isn't just a 2026 problem anymore.

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Andrew Nardi To Undergo Elbow Surgery t.co/qIdwl002Nx

Context matters here because Nardi's medical file already reads like a horror story. He lost most of August 2024 to a muscular elbow issue, then missed the entire 2025 season with recurring lower back pain. He didn't even make it back healthy this year without drama — the Marlins put him on the injured list in late May with a rib stress reaction before shutting him down further with the 60-day IL. Now, just as he was ramping up a throwing program to return, the elbow flared up again.

The recovery math is brutal no matter which way it breaks. If Nardi needs full Tommy John surgery, that's 2027 gone too. An internal brace procedure is the more optimistic outcome, but even that carries a 12-14 month recovery window that could still eat most or all of next season. There's no version of this where Nardi pitches meaningful innings again before 2028 feels realistic.

It's a shame because the stuff was never the issue. Nardi ran a 2.67 ERA with a 31% strikeout rate back in 2023, flashing real bullpen weapon upside as a lefty who could miss bats. But his ERA has ballooned past 5.00 in the seasons since, even as the strikeout numbers stayed strong — the classic profile of a guy who can't stay on the mound long enough to put it together.

For Miami, this is one more body they didn't have available down the stretch, and it complicates the offseason math too. Nardi is still under club control for two more arbitration seasons, but a front office doesn't love committing an arb salary to a reliever who might not throw a competitive pitch until 2028. Don't be shocked if the Marlins explore waivers or a non-tender once the calendar flips.