Puk is a "heavy favorite" to open the season in the Marlins' rotation with Braxton Garrett (shoulder) unavailable, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports.

EDGE Analysis

Puk has wowed early on this spring as he transitions from reliever to starter, firing five scoreless innings with a 9:3 K:BB. Garrett is healthy now but needs time to be built back up following some missed time with left shoulder soreness, so the Marlins need a fill-in likely for at least a couple starts. Puk hasn't started a game since 2021 or been a full-time starter since 2017, so staying healthy and effective over the long haul would be a difficult ask. However, he appears ready to be plugged into the rotation, at least on a short-term basis.