Marlins pitcher Janson Junk rolled his ankle in spring training. Here’s what the injury means for Miami’s rotation battle in 2026.
Spring training is built on routines, repetition, and ramp-ups. But for the Miami Marlins, camp delivered an early scare when right-hander Janson Junk rolled his ankle during warmups in Jupiter and was spotted wearing a protective boot shortly after.
According to reporting from MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola, Junk’s foot got caught during warmups on Tuesday. The initial signs were encouraging. There was no significant swelling, and head athletic trainer LJ Petra examined him on the spot.
Junk described the injury as more "achiness" than anything structural, but he is set to see a doctor before the club determines the next steps.
"Probably not going to do that," Junk said of his scheduled pitch design session. "We’ll just take it day by day and see what doc says. But initial testing, like I said, LJ checked it out, and swelling wasn’t there at the time. So that’s good. Just achiness, and feels like I rolled it."
For a veteran fighting for a defined role, that day-by-day approach carries real weight.
Junk isn’t just another arm logging spring innings. The 30-year-old is squarely in the mix for an Opening Day roster spot -- either as rotation depth or as a multi-inning bullpen option. After posting a 4.17 ERA and an impressive 3.14 FIP across 21 games (16 starts) in 2025, he entered camp with legitimate momentum.
That 3.14 FIP suggests his underlying performance may have been even better than the ERA indicates. He limited hard contact, missed more bats, and showed improved command, all while providing valuable length in a season when Miami leaned heavily on developing arms.
Pitch design sessions -- like the one Junk had on Saturday and was scheduled to repeat this week. They are where pitchers refine grips, tweak seam orientation, and chase marginal velocity or movement gains. For someone without a guaranteed job, those sessions are how you sharpen the edge that separates you from the next name on the depth chart.
Missing even a week in February can ripple into March usage. Fewer bullpen sessions can mean fewer live BPs, which can mean fewer Grapefruit-League innings. And fewer innings mean fewer chances to solidify a role.
The encouraging news is the lack of swelling and the similarity between both ankles, as Junk noted. Those are positive early indicators. And in mid-February, teams will always err on the side of caution.
Still, the timing is frustrating.
"At least it gives me some time to recoup, kind of; it’s just annoying building up and everything," Junk told reporters. "I was feeling really good. It is what is."
That quote says plenty. Junk knows how important this camp is. The Marlins continue to evaluate rotation depth, and versatility is currency. If healthy, Junk offers innings, flexibility, and the ability to bridge the gap between the rotation and bullpen.
Now, the focus shifts to Wednesday’s doctor visit. If it confirms this is minor, the Marlins can exhale. If not, a quietly important spring storyline just got a lot more complicated.
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