Marlins fans do not have much to root for with the team starting 0-5 but a light at the end of the tunnel seems to be RHP Max Meyer. Meyer looks to be a promising pitcher for the team this season. Prior to his recent start against the Los Angeles Angels, Meyer had not pitched in a game since 2022 when he suffered a UCL tear. Then he had Tommy John surgery which kept him out of the 2023 season. In his first start, he pitched five innings with two earned runs and four strikeouts.
RHP Max Meyer debuts against the Angels
The Marlins drafted Meyers third overall in the first round. He started in Double-A, where he won Double-A South Pitcher of the Year honors and ranked fifth in the Minors for ERA (2.27). He made his major league debut in 2022, pitching in only two games before he suffered an injury. Meyers mostly uses his filthy slider. Against the Angels, he utilized it 43 percent of the time in his 79 pitches. Mike Trout even pointed out how nasty his slider was.
“Yeah, he had good stuff,” Trout said. He was throwing the ball up and had a different shape on the slider. It was a tough at-bat. You just have to get your pitch.”
Meyer’s only mistake would come off arguably one of baseball’s best players: Mike Trout. His slider would not work in his favor, and Trout smashed it for his second homer of the year.
Aquí vemos el slider para su primer ponche del 2024. ¡Bienvenido de nuevo a Grandes Ligas, Max Meyer! https://t.co/LsETu4AvPl pic.twitter.com/SJG3UvHPax
— Daniel Álvarez-Montes (@DanielAlvarezEE) April 1, 2024
Skip Schumaker discusses Meyer’s workload.
“He made it difficult in Spring Training, obviously,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “He’s coming from a big injury, so it’s just the reality. I’m not going to throw him 200 innings. It’s just not going to happen. He’s got to be monitored no matter what for his career. We really want him to have a successful Major League career. So throwing him out there for 200 innings or 180 innings doesn’t make any sense.
“It’s going to be a difficult decision, but the reality is he’s not going to continue to make every start every fifth day. It’s just not fair to him. But he’s doing exactly what he wants to do, which is showcase his stuff and show us that he’s a Major League starter, which we all thought he was.”
Meyer’s start would be obscured by the Marlins relatively dormant offense. For the first time in franchise history, the team would start the season 0-5. Despite this harrowing stat line, he proved he could be a valuable piece in the rotation. Time will tell how long he will stay on the roster, as Eury Perez (elbow inflammation), Braxton Garrett (shoulder impingement), and Edward Cabrera (shoulder soreness) should be back soon. A young pitcher is exactly what the Marlins need to help get the 2024 season back on the right foot.
Main Photo Credits: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
