Marlins Claim Justin Shafer From Reds

The Marlins have claimed right-handed reliever Justin Shafer off waivers from the Reds, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Cincinnati had designated him for assignment last week.

It’s surely an odd time for Shafer to learn that he’s on his way to the Marlins organization. Miami has had a reported 11 players and two coaches test positive for Covid-19 since Friday — the result of which has been the postponement of two games, an urgent wave of tests in the Phillies organization and undoubtedly some renewed concern among players throughout the league. The Marlins’ sudden shortage of players has likely left them in something of a scramble; MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweeted earlier today that they’re working to acquire some MLB-caliber depth to fill the roster.

Shafer certainly qualifies as that. While the Reds were the second club to designate him for assignment in the past eight months, he has a solid track record in limited MLB action. In 48 Major League innings, Shafer has pitched to a 3.75 ERA  — albeit with an uglier 39-to-25 K/BB ratio. Still, Shafer has been sharp in the upper minors (both Double-A and Triple-A alike) and will give Miami a fresh arm to help soak up some innings in the wake of their team outbreak.