Avisail Garcia blames missed diagnosis for ending Marlins career

Avisail Garcia has filed a medical malpractice case against the University of Miami, accusing South Florida doctors of missing the injury he says ended his Major League Baseball career. The lawsuit was filed June 17, 2026 in Miami-Dade County Court and centers on care Garcia received through the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Garcia says an MRI revealed a pars defect, a stress fracture in the lower back, and that doctors recommended a CT scan to better define the injury. Garcia and his attorney say that scan was never done. Instead, the suit alleges he was treated as if he had routine muscle or disc pain and was told to keep going with physical therapy and training, a course of care he says only made his symptoms worse.

Pars interarticularis stress injuries are a known cause of lower back pain in high-level sports, and CT imaging can be important in distinguishing an acute stress reaction from a chronic pars defect.

MLB’s player page lists him as signing a three-year deal before the 2022 season, while other records described the contract as a four-year, $53 million agreement. Garcia played three seasons with the Marlins before the club designated him for assignment on June 4, 2024, and he did not return to the majors after that.

Garcia announced his retirement from MLB on Feb. 2, 2026, ending a 13-season career with 140 home runs and a .263 batting average. His best season came in 2017, when he made the American League All-Star team with the White Sox after hitting .330 with 18 home runs and 80 RBI.