The Marlins optioned Ellington (biceps) to Triple-A New Orleans on Tuesday, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.
After making his lone appearance in Grapefruit League play back on March 4, Ellington experienced biceps tendinitis and has been shut down ever since. It's unclear how close he might be to resuming a throwing program, so the expectation is that he'll open the season on the minor-league disabled list. Once the hard-throwing right-hander demonstrates he's healthy in the minors, he could be summoned to the big club and slot into a setup role in front of closer Brad Ziegler.