The Miami Marlins’ closer role is changing once again. Here’s the latest

The Miami Marlins’ revolving closer role has taken yet another spin.

The latest swap: Out goes David Robertson. In comes Tanner Scott.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker opted for the lefty Scott, who closed games for Miami in 2022 but has been stellar as the Marlins’ setup man in 2023, to get the final three outs of their 2-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday to avoid a series sweep. This came a day after Robertson blew his third save in seven chances since joining the Marlins in a trade with the New York Mets on July 28.

“You’ll probably see Tanner there in the ninth inning,” Schumaker said postgame Sunday.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise that Scott is the first reliever Schumaker chose to give a chance to when the closer role opened. After all, the manager has said several times that Scott has been arguably the team’s best bullpen arm this season.

After his save on Sunday, in which he worked around a pair of one-out singles with a game-ending double play, Scott has a 2.55 ERA over 60 innings and has allowed just three earned runs over his past 23 innings dating back to June 28.

With a little more than a month left in the season, Scott’s 83 strikeouts this season are the ninth-most in franchise history by a reliever and seven shy of his career-high 90 that he set last season in his first year with the Marlins.

Those who have more: David Phelps (114 in 2016), Kyle Barraclough (113 in 2016), Robb Nen (92 in 1996), Kevin Gregg (87 in 2007), AJ Ramos (87 in 2015 and 86 in 2013) and Steve Cishek (84 in 2014).

In 2022, Scott recorded 20 saves in 27 opportunities.

“Tanner has had a really incredible year this year,” Schumaker said. “Not that he didn’t have a good year last year — because he did — but I think that Tanner has done it before. He’s got swing-and-miss. Lefties, righties, it doesn’t really matter. He has plus stuff. I just felt like maybe we give him a shot in the ninth inning.”

He’s just the latest to get a chance at the role.

The Marlins began the year with, in Schumaker’s words, a closer-by-committee situation although lefty A.J. Puk quickly assumed the role.

Puk, acquired in the offseason in a trade with the Oakland Athletics, logged 15 saves in 19 chances during the first half of the season before going through a rough patch following the All-Star Break, giving up seven runs (six earned runs) in 4 2/3 innings over his first six outings of the second half.

The tail end of that stretch coincided with the Marlins acquiring Robertson from the Mets, and Schumaker immediately inserted the 15-year veteran into the closer role to the aforementioned mixed results.

Andrew Nardi, JT Chargois and George Soriano have each also logged a save this season, with Soriano’s being of the three-inning variety.

Schumaker said Robertson will still pitch in high-leverage situations.

“It’s not like you’re not going to see Robertson anymore,” Schumaker said. “I don’t want you to think that. We still have a lot of confidence in him. We acquired him for a reason, to get us out of high-leverage situations. That’s still going to happen.”

Soler power

With his third-inning home run on Sunday, outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler has 35 on the season, including seven in his past 12 games. Not only is that tied with Mookie Betts for the fifth-most in MLB this season, it is also the sixth-most in a season in Marlins franchise history.

Giancarlo Stanton’s franchise record of 59 during his MVP-winning 2017 season should be safe, but Soler does have a chance to get up to second place, currently held by Gary Sheffield (42 home runs in the 1996 season). Marcell Ozuna (37 in 2017) and Stanton (37 both in 2012 and 2014) are tied for the third-most home runs in a Marlins season.

This and that

▪ Schumaker flipped the order of his starting pitchers for the Marlins’ series against the Tampa Bay Rays to cap this homestand. Sandy Alcantara will start Tuesday, while Jesus Luzardo will go on Wednesday.

The logic is to give Luzardo extra rest, considering he has already thrown 143 1/3 innings this season, far exceeding his single-season career-high of 100 1/3 set last season.

▪ Right-handed pitcher Bryan Hoeing, who held the Nationals to one run over four innings Sunday, has had a breakthrough season as a long reliever in the Marlins’ bullpen this season. In 20 relief appearances, Hoeing has a 1.99 ERA (seven earned runs over 31 2/3 innings).