Brailyn Márquez Joins Myrtle Beach Pelicans for First Affiliated Experience Since 2020
Brailyn Márquez has not pitched at any affiliate level since logging two-thirds of an inning for the Cubs in the final game of 2020 and his only competitive action in that time was three innings at the Arizona Complex League this summer. A case of COVID at the start of camp in 2021 led to myocarditis that shelved him for eight months, then another positive test early in ’22 forced a late start. He developed shoulder fatigue upon his return and was forced to undergo a surgical debridement procedure that ended his season.
Márquez wasn’t able to begin throwing from the mound until March of this year, but he’s worked his way back slowly and managed to make three scoreless appearances in Mesa. Now the next step begins at Low-A Myrtle Beach, where the big lefty begins his rehab assignment. He should move quickly if he’s able to display the triple-digit velocity and nasty breaking stuff that had him looking like a potential high-leverage reliever back in 2020.
Brailyn is back!
The lefty has joined our roster for a rehab assignment. Marquez started five games for the Pelicans in 2019 and struck out 26 with a 1.71 ERA.#MBPelicans | #NextStartsHere pic.twitter.com/l1Xju10POV
— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) July 2, 2023
It’s almost like the Cubs are playing with house money at this point because the man who was once a top-3 prospect in the organization has dropped completely off the radar. The expectations are minimal, but it’s still possible for Marquez to become the “pitching weapon” Jed Hoyer envisioned way back when.
