Marlins call up Double A pitching standout Dillon Peters to boost wild-card chances

Last Saturday night, just a half-hour before he was set to watch Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. trade punches, Miami Marlins pitching prospect Dillon Peters received a jolt of news.

Peters was headed to the big leagues for the first time in his life.

“My manager (Randy Ready at Double-A Jacksonville) called me and told me,” said Peters, a left-hander. “It was awesome, but it didn’t really sink in until I got on the phone with my dad.”

Peters said it was an emotional conversation with his dad.

“The waterworks happened,” Peters said. “It was everything you could expect.”

Peters arrived at Marlins Park on Thursday — which was his 25th birthday — and is set to start Friday night’s game against the Phillies.

In 13 minor-league starts this season, Peters was 7-3 with a 1.57 ERA. Nine of those starts were at his highest level, Double A, where he went 6-2 with a 1.97 ERA.

Although not a big strikeout pitcher, all his other numbers at Double A were outstanding, including a 0.964 WHIP, 6.5 hits per nine innings, 2.2 walks and 0.2 homers.

A 10th-round pick out of the University of Texas in 2014, Peters likely would have made his major-league debut sooner if not for injuries.

The Marlins drafted him knowing he needed elbow surgery in 2014. And then Peters broke his left thumb on his third start of the 2017 season when he was hit by a line drive.

That cost him three months, but now he’s back, and the Marlins have injected him into their wild-card playoff race.

“In spring training,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Peters, “we liked pretty much everything about him — his composure, and we felt his stuff was good.

“He wasn’t overwhelmed. When he got hurt, they thought he might be out the rest of the year. But now we get to take a look.”

Peters, who said his family will be at Marlins Park on Friday to watch him make his debut, has “four screws and a plate” that will forever hold together his left thumb.

He will wear 76 — his spring-training number — and he’s well rested, not having thrown since last Friday.

“I feel honored that they called me up to help out the team,” Peters said. “I think I’m ready. I truly believe that I was meant to do this.”

STANTON VIDEO

Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, who leads the majors in home runs, surely got lots of hits online after the release of a steamy music video with Lexy Panterra, an aspiring pop artist.

Panterra is known for her twerking videos, which have gotten millions of views on YouTube.

THIS AND THAT

▪ Marlins first baseman Justin Bour (oblique) is hoping to begin a rehab assignment on Saturday at Jacksonville.

▪ Wei-Yin Chen (elbow) is set to pitch two innings for High-A Jupiter on Friday.

COMING UP

▪ Friday: Marlins LHP Dillon Peters (debut) vs. Phillies RHP Nick Pivetta (5-9, 6.57 ERA), 7:10 at Marlins Park.

▪ Saturday: Marlins RHP Dan Straily (8-8, 3.80 ERA) vs. Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (10-9, 3.46 ERA), 7:10 at Marlins Park.

This story was originally published August 31, 2017 at 8:17 PM with the headline "Marlins call up Double A pitching standout Dillon Peters to boost wild-card chances."