Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
David Phelps knows Jose Urena’s long-relief struggle
MIAMI — Here’s a little secret about the Miami Marlins’ enlarged eight-man bullpen: This weekend, just like much of the team’s west-coast swing last week, it’s a seven-man bullpen at best.
Right-hander Jose Urena is set to get at least a couple of days off after throwing 86 pitches over 4 1⁄3 innings Friday night, just his fourth game out of the Marlins’ first 21. It was also his first appearance in 11 days following a similar four-inning, bullpensaving outing against the Seattle Mariners on April 17.
Urena made the team as one of its multi-inning middle relievers — “bridge guys” as manager Don Mattingly has called them — in part because he’s out of minor league options. And in these first few weeks, Urena has been the Marlins’ sacrificial long man, too. David Phelps knows how that goes. “I went over and gave him a hug both times. I’ve been there,” Phelps said. “People want to talk about bullpen roles saying so-and-so is more important than other people, but you think about that outing last night or the outing in Seattle, he keeps the rest of us fresh. We might win three or four because of it, whereas if we all had to throw last night, it’s a different story.”
Urena’s young career has followed a path similar to the one Phelps followed early: training as a starter in the minors, but bouncing between the rotation and bullpen. In three seasons with the New York Yankees (2012-14), Phelps made double-digit starts and relief appearances, and in the first two of those years spent time as the long man.
On 16 occasions, Phelps has come out of the bullpen on six or more days rest.
“It’s tough because No. 1, if your starters go on a roll, you might go 10, 11 days without seeing the mound. Staying sharp with having long periods without throwing,” Phelps said. “But you’re also going to have times when you’re coming into games against a hot lineup.”
Urena’s efforts don’t go unnoticed. It helps that he has found success in this role, posting a 2.92 ERA (four earned runs in 12 1⁄3 innings) and 1.38 WHIP — which looks uglier than it did previously after he gave up 12 hits, a Marlins record for a reliever, Friday night. Three double plays helped him work around that.
“What Jose has been able to do has been great for us, but it’s also very hard on him,” Mattingly said. “It’s hard to expect him to come out and look like one of your rotation guys or a possibility to be in the rotation because you’re putting him in really tough spots.”
Mattingly said it’s not clear whether Urena will be a starting pitcher in the long-term. If Urena can sharpen a more consistent breaking ball and command to both sides of the plate, he could be a starter. If those don’t come regularly, well, that’s why almost all relievers are failed starters.
“So we’re just letting him power up out of the bullpen, let it eat and go attack guys,” Mattingly said.
Garcia go gets ‘em
Rookie lefty Jarlin Garcia has impressed since a mid-month call up, allowing one run in four innings over five appearances. He has been effective against righties (1 for 7) as well as lefties (0 for 5), and Mattingly has shown a willingness to turn to Garcia in tight games.
“I think he thinks he’s ready to be here, and that’s always really important for the younger guys,” Mattingly said. “They believe that they can pitch here. Sometimes that takes a little while, but Jarlin seems to think he belongs here.”
Garcia is also the only southpaw to pitch out of the Marlins’ bullpen so far this season. Miami’s decision-makers have said handedness doesn’t matter as much as effectiveness, but now that he has a lefty, Mattingly will acknowledge it’s nice to have.
“Preferably, you’d like to have a couple, and if you had guys that can get both [righties and lefties] out, you wouldn’t even mind having three,” Mattingly said. “He’s been a nice surprise.”