Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Barraclough returning soon
Wittgren feeling much better so far
MIAMI — The Miami Marlins’ patchwork bullpen, effective during a weekend sweep of the Colorado Rockies, is about to get a boost with the return of right-hander Kyle Barraclough.
Barraclough, who has been out since July 25 with a right shoulder impingement, said he felt “no pain, no soreness” during his rehabilitation appearances and could be activated any day.
That would be a boon to the bullpen, since half the players in there have spent most of the year in the minors, with two others spending significant time on the disabled list.
Manager Don Mattingly indicated Barraclough would return to his normal late-inning, high-leverage role.
“He’ll just be a part of the ’pen, as much as anything,” Mattingly said. “He gives you another dependable guy back there. … He’s always kind of had the toughest [batters]. His stuff plays with all those guys.”
Said Barraclough: “[Sunday,] Donnie said Tuesday we’re looking at and go from there.”
Barraclough pitched two scoreless rehab innings, most recently one Saturday, and struck out three while walking one batter and hitting another.
When Barraclough returns, Mattingly wants to see more than anything else improved fastball command, which has plagued him throughout his career. Barraclough has a career rate of 5.8 walks per nine innings.
“The thing we’d like him to be able to do is throw the fastball when he wants and get it where he wants,” Mattingly said. “He’s a guy that has a great slider. It’s pretty much unhittable when he’s got the good one going. … Fastball command is so important because it allows you to use your secondary whenever you want it, because you know you can always get back in the count.”
Barraclough’s injury came at a bad time from an individual standpoint. Mattingly said last month that Barraclough was most likely the next-man-up at closer, if and when AJ Ramos was traded. Barraclough went on the DL two days before the Marlins sent Ramos to the Mets.
Barraclough is confident his chance will come.
“That’s always been my goal. It’s just a matter of time,” Barraclough said. “I have to keep doing what I’m doing, take care of my business. That’s for the coaches to figure out and decide if and when that time is right.” ligament that would require Tommy John surgery and a year-plus rehab process.
When the MRI came back clean — and then, in more recent days, as the inflammation and soreness went away — his outlook and mindset became a much more positive one.
“I’m feeling well. I’m feeling a lot better,” Wittgren said. “Swelling has gone down in the arm, so basically it’s loosening up, feeling a lot better.”
Wittgren is still weeks away from a return, but hopes to pitch again so he can head into the offseason with a clean bill of health and the psychological relief that will come with that.
“Best-case scenario in my head would be at least pitch another game this year,” Wittgren said.