Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Right-handed Trevor Richards is scheduled to get his first start tonight against the Boston Red Sox.
Family comes in to see rookie face the Red Sox
MIAMI — Marlins pitcher Trevor Richards already considered it a special moment.
His family and college coaches are planning on making it even more memorable. Richards, who is expected to make his first Major League Baseball start, will do so in front of his personal fan club. His family from the St. Louis area and coaches at Drury College are making the trip so they can watch today’s game against the Boston Red Sox at Marlins Park.
“Very exciting,” said Richards, who estimates 25 family members will be in attendance. “Definitely nice to have them down here. It’s just as exciting for them as it is for me. It’s going to be a good time.”
Richards, 24, gets his opportunity to remain in the rotation despite missing the early portion of the spring because he was dealing with allergies. He has since developed into one of the Marlins’ top young pitchers.
“Early on, he got a little bit behind just because he got sick early,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “Then we were able to bring him back late and he threw the ball really well. We’ll see where he goes.”
Last year, Richards was 12-11 with a 2.53 ERA while playing in Jupiter and Jacksonville. He also had a career-best 158 strikeouts.
“It’s exciting,” Richards said. “It’s another opportunity. Just keep doing what I’ve been doing. I’ve been working hard and getting ready. It’s just a matter of executing and preparing.”
Richards caught Mattingly’s attention with his two performances against the Washington Nationals in the spring. He allowed only one earned run in 10 innings while facing basically the National’s starting lineup.
“We like his competitiveness,” Mattingly said. “Obviously, he was the pitcher of the year last year in our organization. He’s got some weapons.”
Mattingly compared Richards to Caleb Smith, another of the Marlins’ young pitchers. On Saturday, Smith allowed one run on four hits in 5 1⁄3 innings. He also struck out eight and walked three.
“Youth doesn’t necessarily mean that they can’t be successful right away,” Mattingly said. “I’ve seen a lot of guys come up early. … Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you can’t be effective here. Obviously, there’s the other side of that, too.”
Mattingly said he has yet to decide if Richards will be a permanent member of the rotation. He will evaluate him on a game-by-game basis.
“We do feel like he can handle that,” Mattingly said. “He kind of showed it in the spring. Will here be a different story? I don’t know. We think it’s there and obviously we’re not going to know until we get into Major League, regular season type of competition. He’s a guy who can pitch through a game plan.”