Marlins’ Brian Anderson finding rhythm as he finishes another ‘chopped-up’ season

It wasn’t that long ago that Brian Anderson was being talked about as developing into a potential 20-30 home run hitter.

Anderson showed off that power Sunday afternoon when he took Dodgers pitcher Luis Urias deep to left field for a 416-foot blast that drove in the Marlins’ only run in an 8-1 loss to Los Angeles.

But those moments have been few and far between for Anderson during the past two seasons due to a plethora of injuries — primarily to his left shoulder.

Anderson missed 92 combined games last season while dealing with first an oblique injury and later the shoulder issue. This season, he has had three separate stints on the IL (one with COVID, one due to back spasms and the other shoulder related) limiting him to only 68 games prior to Monday’s series finale with the Dodgers at loanDepot park.

“Any time you miss time it’s going to be tough,” Anderson said recently. “I think for me, it’s just a matter of going out there and just staying within myself and not trying to make up for lost time out there. ... If you go in there and try to make up for lost time, you’re gonna go in there and try to do too much.”

Coupled with his Gold Glove potential playing either third base or right field, the Marlins figured Anderson would be a fixture in their lineup for the long haul.

Anderson, who turns 30 next May, is heading into his final year of arbitration next season and is currently on a one-year, $4.48 million deal.

Whether his future is in Miami or elsewhere, Anderson is looking to build momentum for what’s left of 2022 to get his career back on track for the long-term.

The power Anderson has shown in the past is still there when healthy.

Since returning from his latest stint on the injured list on Aug. 12, Anderson has hit three home runs after hitting only three during his first 54 games this season.

“To me, outside of the injuries, he’s probably looked as good as he’s looked as far as the at-bats, the swings or the swing decisions,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “He’s really been in a good spot. The injuries have kind of chopped his season up and not allowed him to be smooth throughout and get a rhythm going. But for me, he has swung the bat pretty good this year.”

Anderson has played 45 games this season at third base, but hasn’t played there since July 23. Since returning from his latest IL stint on Aug. 12, Anderson started his 18th game in right field on Monday and said that he will likely remain in the outfield the rest of the season, in an effort to avoid any more wear and tear on his shoulder if he were playing at third.

When healthy, Anderson’s powerful arm is a boon in right field where he has three outfield assists this season and 20 during his three seasons playing the position. Anderson has seven defensive runs saved during that span.

While Anderson is still hitting only .196 with a .762 OPS, nine walks and 17 strikeouts during this recent 14-game stretch, getting regular at-bats either as a right fielder or as a designated hitter have helped him make slow progress at the plate.

“I’m just trying to build on it. Every time I have good at-bats I try to find that feel again and it just feels like I’m in the rhythm of the season again,” Anderson said. “It’s starting to come back. That’s the main goal right now is just putting together whole entire games where I have good at-bats and help us out whatever way I can.”

The Marlins have also regularly hit Anderson either in the third or fourth spot in the lineup in nine of the past 12 games. He has hit either second or fifth otherwise.

“It’s nice that they have the confidence in me to be in the middle of the order,” Anderson said. “That’s the type of bat that I feel like I am and I have been over the course of the last couple of years. For me, it’s just a matter of getting pitches in the zone and having good, competitive at-bats and staying with my approach.”

ROGERS NEARING RETURN

While he hasn’t officially been activated yet from the 15-day IL, Trevor Rogers could be back in the rotation this week, conceivably on Wednesday when the spot handled by relievers recently is next due up.

Rogers (lower back spasms) was in the team’s clubhouse Sunday after pitching his fourth rehab start this past Thursday at Triple A Jacksonville. Rogers threw six no-hit innings while striking out 12 in that outing.

“It’s been a rough year for Trevor, but we know he has a chance to be a consistent pitcher over time,” Mattingly said. “I think (if you’re him), you’d like to regroup and have success and take that with you going into the offseason.”

Rogers threw a bullpen session prior to Sunday’s game against the Dodgers and said his back felt the best it has in his career. He said taking a break mentally during a season in which he has regressed from his 2021 All-Star form definitely helped.

Rogers is 4-10 with a 5.85 ERA in 87⅔ innings (19 starts) this season with 83 strikeouts and 41 walks. Last season, Rogers went 7-8 with a 2.64 ERA, 157 strikeouts and 46 walks in 133 innings (25 starts).

“It’s right back to where I need to be, especially my last [rehab] start, everything was playing like it did last year,” Rogers said.

This story was originally published August 29, 2022 at 12:51 PM.

Andre C. Fernandez

Miami Herald

Andre Fernandez is the Deputy Sports Editor of the Miami Herald and has covered a wide variety of sports during his career including the Miami Marlins, Miami Heat, Miami Dolphins, University of Miami athletics, and high school sports.