MIAMI — The Miami Marlins (21-26) open a four-game series against the Atlanta Braves (32-15) on Monday at loanDepot park at 6:40 p.m. ET. Max Meyer (3-0, 3.21 ERA) takes the ball for Miami against JR Ritchie (1-0, 3.32 ERA) of the Braves. The Marlins are fourth in the NL East, 11 games back. The Braves are first in the division and the third-best record in the National League.
FILE – Protesters demonstrate outside LoanDepot Park before the start of a baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, May 10, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Two years ago this week, the photograph above was taken outside loanDepot park: Marlins fans holding “SHERMAN SELL THE TEAM” signs before a game against Philadelphia. The Marlins were 13-25 that day. They finished 62-100. Two years later, the Marlins are 21-26 — a marginal improvement on pace, an active rebuild on the roster, and the same ownership group. The signs are not in tonight’s photographs. The frustration they captured has not gone anywhere.
Tonight’s Matchup
Max Meyer is 3-0 with a 3.21 ERA across nine starts and has been Miami’s most consistent arm in May. His last outing was Wednesday in Minneapolis: six innings, three runs, the win that broke a two-game losing streak. Meyer has not faced Atlanta in 2026.
JR Ritchie, the 23-year-old right-hander from Washington State, is making his fourth career start. He is 1-0 with a 3.32 ERA. The Braves’ rotation has churned through injuries — Spencer Schwellenbach, AJ Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep, and Joey Wentz are all on the injured list — and Ritchie has been part of the answer. Sunday’s start against Boston went six innings, one earned run.
A fan waves a sign for Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie, who grew up near Seattle, during the first inning of a baseball game between the Seattle Mariners and the Braves, Monday, May 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie walks back to the dugout during a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Monday, May 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie sits in the dugout during a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Monday, May 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Jr. Ritchie works against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Miami Marlins pitchers Max Meyer, left, and Eury Perez, front right, work out during spring training baseball, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Jupiter, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Marlins pitcher Max Meyer throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Miami Marlins’ Max Meyer (23) throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Max Meyer (23) delivers during the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
The Marlins Lineup To Watch
The Miami offense is doing things the season totals do not yet reflect. Xavier Edwards is hitting .318 with a .404 on-base percentage. Otto Lopez is hitting .344, the highest mark on the team and 13th in the National League. Liam Hicks ranks second in MLB with 40 RBIs. The lineup walked into Tropicana Field this weekend and scored 15 runs across three games against the best home team in the American League. The bats are not the problem.
The problem is the bottom of the rotation. Robby Snelling’s left elbow UCL sprain put him on the 15-day IL on May 13. Braxton Garrett’s first major-league start since June 2024 ended after 1.1 innings on Thursday in Minneapolis. The Marlins are starting Meyer tonight knowing he is the only pitcher in the staff currently working in his usual form.
The Braves Without Acuña
Atlanta enters tonight without Ronald Acuña Jr., on the 10-day IL since May 3 with a left hamstring strain. They are also without catcher Sean Murphy (10-day IL, fractured left middle finger) and starting outfielder Eli White (7-day IL, concussion). The Braves are 32-15 anyway. Matt Olson has 14 home runs, tied for third in MLB in RBIs at 38. Rookie catcher Drake Baldwin is hitting .301 with a .928 OPS. Austin Riley has played every inning of every game. The injured-list churn has not slowed the run column.
How To Watch
- Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
- Venue: loanDepot park, Miami
- TV: Marlins.TV · FanDuel Sports Network South (Atlanta)
- Radio: WQAM 104.3 · WAQI 710 AM (Spanish) · 680 The Fan (Atlanta)
- Streaming: MLB.TV · Fubo
The Stakes
The Marlins are 11 games out in the NL East and roughly 6.5 games out of the third Wild Card spot. The trade deadline is 75 days away. Sandy Alcántara is scheduled to pitch later in the series. The Braves are in town for four games, and the Mets follow for three. Seven games at loanDepot park against the two teams above Miami in the standings.
The 2024 protest photograph is a reminder of where this franchise was two springs ago. Tonight’s game is one of the cleaner pitching matchups Miami will see this homestand — a 23-year-old call-up against a 26-year-old establishing himself as the rotation’s stable point. The bats showed up in Tampa. The Marlins need them again tonight, and they need the front of their rotation to stop the bleeding the back end keeps causing.
First pitch, 6:40.
— MT
