Andrew Nardi returned to the mound for the Miami Marlins and struck out three batters in a dominant scoreless inning during his first spring training appearance.
The Miami Marlins received an encouraging sign from their bullpen on Tuesday as left-hander Andrew Nardi made his long-awaited return to the mound in Grapefruit League action. The left-hander wasted no time reminding everyone how dominant he can be when healthy.
Nardi tossed a scoreless inning and struck out three batters, needing only 14 pitches to carve through the opposition. It marked his first spring appearance after missing the entire 2025 season with a lower back injury, and the outing immediately put him back on the radar as a potential key piece of Miami’s bullpen in 2026.
The numbers from the outing tell a clear story: Nardi’s stuff looked crisp and aggressive from the moment he stepped on the mound.
His fastball averaged 93.8 mph, topping out near 94.6 mph, right in line with the velocity that helped him emerge as one of Miami’s most reliable relievers during his breakout 2023 season. But it was his slider that stole the show.
Nardi leaned heavily on the pitch, throwing it 57 percent of the time (8 of 14 pitches). The offering generated two strikeouts and five total called-strike-plus-whiff events, producing an impressive 63-percent CSW rate. Hitters simply had no answer for it.
Overall, Nardi recorded four whiffs and four called strikes, meaning more than half of the pitches he threw resulted in a swing-and-miss or a frozen hitter.
Even more impressive: no balls were put in play during the inning. The opposing lineup never managed to make contact strong enough to test the defense.
For the Marlins, seeing Nardi dominate in his first appearance carries bigger implications than just one clean inning.
The left-hander was a major part of Miami’s bullpen success during the club’s 2023 playoff run, posting a 2.67 ERA and an 8-1 record while emerging as one of the team’s most valuable relievers. Injuries derailed his momentum over the next two seasons, but the talent has never been in question.
If Nardi can stay healthy, the Marlins suddenly gain another high-leverage weapon alongside pitchers like Anthony Bender and Pete Fairbanks, both of whom also turned in strong performances in the same spring outing.
For a team trying to build bullpen depth heading into the 2026 season, Nardi’s return could not come at a better time.
Spring training outings should always be taken with some caution, but striking out the side while generating elite swing-and-miss numbers is about as strong of a first impression as a pitcher can make.
If Tuesday was any indication, Andrew Nardi might be on his way back to becoming one of Miami’s most dangerous bullpen arms.
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