Brice (forearm strain) placed on 10-day IL
Despite setback, bullpen adds depth with Guerrero's return
MIAMI -- The Marlins' bullpen suffered a setback on Tuesday when right-hander Austin Brice was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right forearm flexor strain, retroactive to Sunday.
In a corresponding move, the bullpen received a boost with hard-throwing right-hander Tayron Guerrero being reinstated from the 10-day IL. He had been dealing with a right middle finger blister.
Brice, 27, has been a big part of the ¡®pen, showing his ability to throw multiple innings. In 29 games, the righty is 1-0 with a 1.88 ERA. He¡¯s logged 38 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings, while sporting a WHIP of 1.07.
¡°It¡¯s been going on for a few days,¡± Brice said. ¡°It¡¯s just day-to-day stuff right now isn¡¯t knocking out the inflammation. So I think the next step was the IL, a time for me to try to get the inflammation out and get healed up.¡±
Brice had an MRI, which showed no structural damage, and rest was recommended to reduce the inflammation.
¡°We feel like he will be back pretty quickly,¡± manager Don Mattingly said.
With the way he has been throwing, Brice has become a possible trade chip for Miami before the July 31 Trade Deadline.
Brice¡¯s last appearance was Saturday against the Mets, tossing a scoreless inning, with two strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .189 off him, and he¡¯s thrown six scoreless innings in July. Since the start of June, he has allowed one run in 17 innings (0.53 ERA).
With Brice down, Guerrero becomes a late-inning setup option. The 28-year-old last pitched on June 26 against the Nationals.
Guerrero¡¯s four-seam fastball average is 98.8 mph. In 34 appearances, he has thrown 31 innings with 32 strikeouts. He¡¯s 1-1 with a 4.35 ERA.
Play ball with Grandy
MLB¡¯s Play Ball initiative is taking place throughout the league, and on Tuesday afternoon, about 60 Miami-area kids participated in an event at Marlins Park. Their guest speaker was veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson, who talked about the importance of staying active, eating right, hydrating and staying away from performance-enhancing drugs.
¡°A lot of them had never played baseball,¡± Granderson said. ¡°Today, they played kickball and Wiffle ball, which is something I¡¯ve actually suggested.¡±
Granderson notes that those two sports are good introductions to baseball.
Mostly importantly, said Granderson, the kids said they had fun and enjoyed the experience.
Injury updates
? Drew Steckenrider (right elbow inflammation) threw 15 fastballs off the mound on Tuesday, and he said he felt fine. His next step is to mix in breaking pitches.
? Pablo Lopez (right shoulder strain) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session.
? Chad Wallach (concussion) returned from his rehab assignment at Triple-A New Orleans due to ¡°eye fatigue.¡±