Here’s a changeup: Two Dolphins d-linemen joined the Marlins for spring-training practice
Davon Godchaux made his way to the practice mound, pumping himself up as he prepared to toe the rubber.
Vincent Taylor stood 60 feet away behind home plate waiting for his Miami Dolphins teammate to make his pitch.
“I’m going to throw a fastball,” Godchaux warned. “I’m fast. That’s all I do.”
How one defines “fast” in terms of Godchaux’s pitching is up for personal debate.
But for one morning, Godchaux and Taylor swapped aqua and orange for Miami Blue. For a day, two football players received the Miami Marlins’ spring-training treatment.
The duo spent about an hour and a half Tuesday on the backfields at the Roger Dean Stadium complex in Jupiter.
“It was fun out here just to get out of my comfort zone,” Taylor said. “I’m a guy who plays football. Just to play baseball I think was pretty fun.”
The morning started with batting practice with third-base coach Fredi Gonzalez on the mound. The outing featured its share of hard contact, whiffs, and a lot of entertainment in between.
“They were pretty good. I expected a little bit less, but I think they shocked all of us,” said Marlins center fielder Lewis Brinson, a Coral Springs native and noted Dolphins fan (except when they play the Colts). “They made some hard contact, but I think they know it’s hard to hit a baseball.”
After that, the football players made their way to the outfield to shag fly balls as the Marlins prepared for their game against the New York Mets, an 8-1 win. Finally, they moved to the warmup mounds adjacent to the field and threw about 10 pitches
But don’t worry, Dolphins fans. No minor- or major-league contracts are coming for Godchaux or Taylor.
“They said I have a little more to work on,” Taylor joked before pointing out that he played first base when he was younger.
The guests provided a change of pace for the Marlins, who are in the final two-week stretch of spring training before opening the 2019 season on March 28 against the Colorado Rockies.
“It’s a little switch-up for us,” Brinson said. “Something fun to watch. Something fun to do.”
Roster moves
The Marlins optioned four players to Triple-A New Orleans and sent five more to minor-league camp ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Mets.
The four heading to New Orleans: outfielder Monte Harrison (the team’s No. 3 prospect, according to MLBPipeline), second baseman Isan Diaz (No. 7), left-handed pitcher Jose Quijada (No. 28), and right-handed pitcher Jeff Brigham.
Dylan Lee, Tommy Eveld, Zac Gallen, Brett Graves, and Nick Fortes have been re-assigned to minor-league camp.
This story was originally published March 12, 2019 at 2:39 PM.
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