Luzardo sees signs of progress behind scenes, but says ‘it’s up to me’ to make it ‘click’
Jesus Luzardo bent all the way over and walked off the mound in frustration after another inning — after another round of crushing walks — and sent the Miami Marlins into a three-run hole against the Atlanta Braves.
He knew his day was over and shook his head at another frustrating failure. After cruising through three shutout innings, Luzardo let the first six batters he faced in the fourth all reach safely and headed back to the clubhouse after issuing another five walks, leaving the Marlins in an early bind on the way to an 11-9 loss in Miami.
“The fourth inning definitely got away from me, but the first three innings was the original Jesus Luzardo, what I was in ‘19 and part of last year,” Luzardo said. “When I feel good, that’s me. The fourth inning was not me, so I just need to figure out a way to make it last.”
It was the pitcher’s shortest outing yet as a Marlin, lasting just three innings, plus six batters, and the four earned runs caused his ERA to swell again. In four games with Miami, Luzardo has 9.68 ERA, 17 strikeouts and 16 walks in 17 2/3 innings, yet the Marlins (51-70) still are not ready to worry about their highest-profile trade-deadline acquisition.
“Anytime you identify things like that, those things don’t just take a screwdriver, you turn a knob and it’s all fixed,” manager Don Mattingly said. “A lot of things take time with guys because they build habits or thoughts and there are little things, and it has to be a trust.”
Since making a solid debut for Miami by holding the New York Mets to three runs in five innings Aug. 2, Luzardo has served up a series of debacles. In his second start Aug. 7, Luzardo gave up seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. In his third Friday, Luzardo gave up five in five innings, although he did get the win against the Chicago Cubs.
His start against the Braves (65-56) had all the familiar problems. He showed off a tantalizing 98-mph fastball and racked up four strikeouts, but most opposing contact was hard — 5 of 8 batted balls went at least 95 mph — and a total loss of command knocked him out of the game before he recorded an out in the fourth inning, leaving the crowd of 6,871 frustrated at loanDepot park.
At times, there are reminders of why MLB.com once pegged him as the No. 12 overall prospect in baseball. More often, there are reminders of why he had mostly been relegated to the bullpen for the Oakland Athletics and why they were willing to part with him last month.
“Even though we’ve seen a few bumps, we’ve also seen him settle down at different points,” general manager Kim Ng said. “Being with a new club is a little overwhelming. Just going to be patient with him.”
For now, Luzardo’s command issues are frustrating him — his 8.7 walks per nine innings since arriving in Miami are more double his career average — and he hopes his work with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. will start to show in his results before the end of the year.
For Mattingly, it’s just the time he’s seeing Luzardo spend with Stottlemyre that’s most important.
There’s only so much Luzardo, who graduated from Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2016, can change in the middle of the season. The winter will be his chance to start becoming the pitcher he always hoped he’d become.
“They’ve done a great job,” Luzardo said, “and basically it’s up to me at this point just to make it all click.”
Said Mattingly: “My goal for him is to get him consistent work, get him out there every fifth day, see what it looks like, try to keep working and getting better, and hopefully take him into the winter in a positive frame of mind and a positive place where he can continue to work throughout the winter. ... We love what he can be.”
Marlins craft Rogers’ return plan
Trevor Rogers rejoined the Marlins earlier this week, but remains on the restricted list after Miami removed him from the bereavement list Tuesday. Miami is still working to sort out a specific plan for the rookie starting pitcher, although it will almost certainly involve some sort of rehab stint in the minor leagues.
Rogers, 23, hasn’t pitched since the final day of July and went on the family medical emergency list Aug. 3. The Marlins shifted him to the bereavement list Aug. 11. After Rogers missed the maximum of seven games on the bereavement list, Miami received permission from MLB to shift him to the restricted list, which allows him to remain inactive while the Marlins try to build him back up to Major League fitness.
Mattingly expects Rogers to need at least one outing to build up his innings.
“He’s been off long enough where we can’t just go out there and expect him to throw six innings just because he’s back in town,” Mattingly said. “We’ll have to build him just a little bit to get him back to where it’s safe to put him back out there again.”
Rogers has been one of the most impressive rookies in the Majors this year and was Miami’s lone representative at the 2021 MLB All-Star Game last month. Before landing on the family-medical-emergency list, Rogers was a frontrunner for an MLB Rookie of the Year Award.
Marlins unveil spring training schedule
The Marlins will open up the 2022 Grapefruit League season with a home game at Roger Dean Stadium in the final days of February, and play 30 games, including 11 split-squad games, across February and March.
Miami will open spring training Feb. 26 against the Mets, then play a pair of road split-squad games against the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals the next two days to close out the month. The Marlins will play every day from March 1-27, except for March 9 and 23.
Miami will close out spring training March 27 against the Nationals in West Palm Beach and open the regular season March 31 at home against Atlanta. The Marlins’ final home Grapefruit game is set for March 26 against New York.
MLB has not announced any game times for spring training in 2022.
This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 5:58 PM.
