Starling Marte says he’s ‘feeling good.’ When might he return to the Marlins’ roster?
Starling Marte stepped into the batter’s box, wiggled his pink bat and swung away. He’s not in the Miami Marlins’ lineup yet or even off the injured list, but his batting practice session Friday at loanDepot park was Marte’s next key step toward being able to make an impact for the team again after dealing with a fractured left rib for the past month.
“I’m feeling good,” Marte told a small group of reporters from the field afterward.
Marte plans to spend the rest of the weekend doing work on the field pregame before each of the Marlins’ three games against the New York Mets. After that, he’ll re-evaluate with trainers and the medical staff to decide his next steps.
Most likely, he’ll go on a short rehab assignment. Marte said he probably will need two or three days “to see velocity” and feel comfortable with his timing when he returns to facing big-league pitching. Barring a setback, that sets him up to either join the team on the tail end of this seven-game homestand or when the Marlins begin a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox on May 28.
Marte has been on the injured list since April 20, the day after he left the Marlins’ game against the San Francisco Giants two pitches into an at-bat with two outs in the ninth inning.
At the time of the injury, Marte had a .318 batting average and led the Marlins with 18 hits and 15 runs scored while safely reaching base in 14 consecutive games. He’s also stellar defensively in center field.
The Marlins have gone 13-15 in the 28 games he has missed so far.
“It’s very difficult,” Marte said. “All you can do is watch them play the game. You know you can help, but you can’t. All you can do is give them a little bit of advice if you see something is going on and get ready to be back in the game.”
Marlins manager Don Mattingly said pregame Marte has been doing everything that you’d want him to do as far as throwing and running, hitting off the machine hitting off a tee.”
“He hasn’t had any setbacks and is feeling good,” Mattingly said. “It’s just a matter of him progressing from BP and deciding what way to go from there.”
More injury updates
▪ Right-handed pitcher Elieser Hernandez (right biceps) is scheduled to make a second rehab start on Sunday with the Triple A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Hernandez threw three scoreless innings in his first rehab start on Tuesday, striking out four and not allowing a hit while throwing 44 pitches.
▪ Catcher Jorge Alfaro (left hamstring) is scheduled to play as designated hitter on Friday and catch Saturday with the Jumbo Shrimp as he continues his rehab assignment.
▪ Right-handed pitcher Sixto Sanchez (right shoulder) continues to throw on flat ground from 120 feet.
▪ Right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera (right biceps) is scheduled to throw a 20-pitch live batting practice session on Saturday.
▪ Outfielder Lewis Brinson (left middle finger sprain) is not participating in baseball activities at the moment.
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