Marlins Select Devin Smeltzer

The Marlins have selected the contract of lefty Devin Smeltzer from Triple-A Jacksonville, tweets David Wilson of the Miami Herald. Noah Berger of Fish On First had previously pointed out the Smeltzer was in the team’s clubhouse this morning. The Marlins optioned right-hander Edward Cabrera earlier this week, and he’d been slated to start one of their games in Texas this weekend, so Smeltzer could potentially step into that spot (if he’s not used in long relief prior to that point). The Marlins optioned right-hander Huascar Brazoban to open a spot for Smeltzer on the active roster. They already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster. Smeltzer’s addition brings them to capacity in that regard.

Smeltzer, 27, has had a couple of stints with Miami this season already, pitching 15 2/3 innings with a 6.89 ERA and a 10-to-4 K/BB ratio in that small sample. The southpaw spent the four prior season in Minnesota, pitching to a 3.99 ERA in 140 innings between the Twins’ rotation and bullpen, fanning a well below-average 16.6% of his opponents against a strong 6.4% walk rate.

Things haven’t gone much better for Smeltzer in Jacksonville this year. He’s pitched 65 innings for the Jumbo Shrimp but been tagged for a 5.95 ERA, thanks in no small part to an uncharacteristic 12.6% walk rate. He’s had better run-prevention numbers of late, working to a 3.58 ERA in his past six Triple-A starts, but the improvement in ERA comes despite an ugly 15.5% walk rate in that time.

It could be a short stay on the roster for Smeltzer once again. The Marlins have selected him to the big league roster twice this season but designated him for assignment twice as well. Smeltzer has accepted an outright assignment to Jacksonville on both occasions, despite the fact that he has the right to reject an assignment in favor of free agency. Smeltzer is out of minor league options, so if the Fish want to send him back down at any point, he’ll need to be designated for assignment for the third time this season alone.