Palm Beach Central alum Anthony Maldonado makes MLB debut with Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins have called upon a Palm Beach County native in hopes of saving an ailing arsenal of arms.

Palm Beach Central High alum Anthony Maldonado made his major league debut against the Washington Nationals after anticipated starter Jesus Luzardo was moved to the 15-day injured list with elbow tightness on Friday.

A standout closer in Triple-A, the 6-foot-4, 26 year-old righty maintained a 2.31 ERA through eight appearances for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

Maldonado went 3-0 with two saves this season before getting the news that he would be opening the four-day series in a bullpen game against the Nats. In three innings, he had no runs on three hits with two strikeouts.

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First baseman Josh Bell surprised turning a 3-6-1 double-play to get Miami (6-21) out of a jam and end the third inning.

Kyle Tyler took over in the fourth inning for his first appearance in the majors since two games for the San Diego Padres in 2022. His contract was selected last Saturday.

Edward Cabrera's return from a shoulder issue gave Miami five available starters heading into the week, but the rotation depth chart's top four arms − Sandy Alcantara, Luzardo, Eury Perez, and Braxton Garrett − remain out.

After Washington's Joey Meneses got a hit off of Calvin Faucher, scoring Trey Lipscomb and CJ Abrams and blowing up a 1-1 tie, Miami found itself six arms deep into the bullpen by the middle of the eighth. The Nationals (11-14) won 3-1.

Maldonado has been a quick riser through the years

While Maldonado is a reliever for the Fish, he's not a stranger to the starting role.

Prior to being selected in the 11th round of the 2019 draft, Maldonado racked up a number of collegiate accolades at Bethune Cookman, including two First Team Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) selections and 2018 MEAC Pitcher of the Year.

By the end of his freshman season in 2017, Maldonado had moved into the No. 1 spot of the Wildcats' rotation and led his team to the NCAA Gainesville Regional final against ultimate national champion Florida.

It didn't take long for Maldonado to make a name for himself at the varsity level either. A top-ranked, undefeated Park Vista squad took the first loss of its 2014 state championship run at the forces of a sophomore Maldonado, who gave up one run on four hits in five innings. Until that appearance, the youngster had played in a little over six innings across the entirety of the season.

Those who have been following Maldonado from the beginning know that he's a quick riser.

Luckily, Miami took notice, and it just might be early enough in the season to pay off.

Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach Central alum Anthony Maldonado makes MLB debut with Miami Marlins