Puk lays foundation for starter's duty

JUPITER, Fla. -- If Marlins left-hander A.J. Puk hopes to make the season-opening rotation, he will need to check several boxes before the organization fully commits to his transition as a starter.

Puk tossed three innings for the first time since September 2021 and faced a lineup twice Monday night in the Marlins’ 3-2 Grapefruit League loss to the Yankees at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. He gave up no runs and one hit, struck out six and walked two in a 46-pitch outing.

• Here are the Marlins' 2024 Top 30 prospects

What did Puk take away from his second spring start?

“I think just going back and completing three innings,” Puk said. “It's been a couple of years since I've had to go three innings. Right now, my biggest thing for me is just build up my arm strength and build up my endurance, just to keep building up and going deep into ballgames.”

After two quick outs to open the game, Puk allowed a single and issued a walk before inducing an inning-ending groundout. He struck out the side swinging in the second and worked around a one-out walk and steal in the third.

Here is a breakdown of Puk’s pitch usage as he figures out how to challenge batters multiple times:

First inning (16 pitches)
? Max velo: 95.8 mph
? Breakdown: 50% four-seamer, 37.5% sinker, 6.3% splitter, 6.3% sweeper
? Strikeouts: One on a 95.8 mph four-seamer

Second inning (13 pitches)
? Max velo: 94.7 mph
? Breakdown: 30.8% sinker, 23.1% splitter, 23.1% four-seamer, 15.4% sweeper
? Strikeouts: One on splitter, two on four-seamers

Third inning (17 pitches)
? Max velo: 94.7 mph
? Breakdown: 35.3% four-seamer, 29.4% sinker, 11.8% splitter, 11.8% sweeper
? Strikeouts: One on splitter, one on four-seamer

Puk, who was supposed to start on Sunday but saw both split-squad games canceled due to inclement weather, ranged from 94-96 mph in the first inning compared with 93-95 by the third.

“That first time through the lineup, I think I only threw two of my sweepers, and then I was able to just attack with my heater and go four-seam, sinker and my splitty for the most part,” Puk said. “I think that'll kind of be helpful being able to have all those different pitches and able to pick and choose who I throw them to.”

Cabrera throwing strikes
Right-hander Edward Cabrera was so efficient in his three scoreless innings of relief that he had to throw more in the bullpen to get his pitch count up. He scattered four hits with three strikeouts on 30 pitches (22 strikes).

More important, through two spring outings and five frames, Cabrera has yet to issue a walk. In 2023, his rate of 5.96 walks per nine innings was the second-highest in the Majors among pitchers with at least 90 innings.

“Yeah, I feel better,” Cabrera said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “Like I said, I'm working on my pitches in the zone, so this is coming out the way I want it to come out. So that makes me really happy.”

What’s up with Scott?
Closer Tanner Scott, who tied for the highest fWAR among MLB relievers in 2023 in a club-high 74 appearances, has had a rough go through two spring games.

Scott walked all four batters he faced on Monday, throwing just nine of his 25 pitches for strikes. In his spring debut last Wednesday, he surrendered four runs on three hits and one walk in two-thirds of an inning.

“I think it's my fault, honestly,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “This is the truth. He hasn't pitched in five days. If you guys know Tanner, he likes to throw every single day. If I give him three days in a row, he's pissed that he's down on the fourth day.

“He needs to get in a better rhythm, and the only way to do that is to pitch. And just like a hitter, if he's off five days, it's going to be tough to get the rhythm at the plate. We've got to get him back out there. It's March 4. I'm not worried about Tanner. I've got other things that I'm way more concerned about than Tanner Scott.”

Up next
Left-hander Trevor Rogers will make his 2024 Grapefruit League debut on Tuesday against the Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla. Rogers, who was limited to four starts in 2023 due to injuries, has been eased back this spring. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET on MLB.TV.