Rogers has first rough outing of spring
After three solid outings to open spring training, Trevor Rogers had his first hiccup on Friday.
The Marlins’ lefty gave up eight runs on seven hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch while recording 12 outs, two of which were strikeouts, in a 16-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
Rogers was pulled with bases loaded and one out in the second after throwing 26 pitches, returned to pitch well in the third and fourth and was pulled again with two on and two outs in the fifth. All five runners he left on base scored.
“I just wasn’t attacking the zone at all,” Rogers said. “I was just trying to live on the edges, trying to be too fine with it. Just at the end of the day, I wasn’t doing what I’m really good at, which is attacking the zone. It’s a simple fix. I’ve got another five days to clean it up and get ready for the next one.”
Prior to his outing Wednesday, Rogers had given up just two runs over nine innings through his first three starts.
Rogers is trying to rebound from a disappointing 2022 season in which he had a 5.47 ERA and allowed opponents to hit .274 against him over 23 starts and 107 innings.
“He’s motivated,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said, “and you can see in his work that he wants to prove that
[2022] was an outlier type of year.”
PLAN FOR RETURNING WBC PLAYERS
The Marlins got three of their top players who participated in the World Baseball Classic back in camp much earlier than expected.
The Dominican Republic, expected to be one of the top teams in the tournament, was eliminated in pool play, so pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Johnny Cueto along with infielder Jean Segura are back with the Marlins in Jupiter.
“Honestly,” Schumaker said, “I didn’t think that we’d have the DR guys back yet. I thought they’d be in the championship honestly. Stinks for them. Great for me and us, so
I’ll take it.”
The plan now is to get them as active as possible.
Segura, who had just two at-bats in four World Baseball Classic games, led off in Miami’s early game against St. Louis. He had two hits including an RBI single and a double and played six innings of defense at third base.
Alcantara will start on Saturday, one day later than originally scheduled, and is slated to pitch five innings or up to 75 to 80 pitches. Cueto is scheduled to pitch Monday.
Two mainstays on Miami’s roster are still playing in the tournament for Venezuela in infielder Luis Arraez and pitcher Jesus Luzardo. Venezuela plays its quarterfinal on Saturday against the United States, with the winner playing Cuba in a semifinal on Sunday. The championship is on Tuesday. All games are at 7 p.m. and being played at loanDepot park.
NEW PERSPECTIVE FOR COOPER
Garrett Cooper is finishing up his first year of fatherhood, and the Marlins’ first baseman said it has given him a “different view on life.” Reagan Olivia Cooper turns 1 on Saturday. “There’s more to life than coming in here for eight month straight,” Cooper said. “You go home and get to experience her love and her happiness toward you, not knowing if you had a good game or bad game. She doesn’t really care . ... You do this for her and your family.”
CHISHOLM HOMERS Jazz
Center fielder
Chisholm Jr. hit a solo home run off the Cardinals’ Jordan Hicks in the eighth inning, sending a near middle-middle sinker a projected 412 feet to left-center field. It was Chisholm’s second home run of spring.