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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi will take one step closer on Wednesday to making his 2013 Major League Baseball debut. The right-hander will participate in a bullpen session that, if all goes well, will lead to his rehab assignment in Single-A on Saturday.
The 23-year-old has been on the 60-day disabled list with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. He is one of 11 players on a very crowded Miami disabled list. However, he could be one of the first guys to be activated in the near future, which is another step to getting the Marlins back on track.
“We’re starting to get some guys moving, get them out of here and out playing and hopefully getting them back on the field as soon as possible,” manager Mike Redmond said, according to Marlins.com.
Eovaldi is still expected to play a big part in Miami’s starting rotation even if he will have missed more than two months once he finally takes the mound sometime in mid-June. For this reason, the Marlins cannot wait for him to be able to suit up.
Miami’s group of starters have posted a National League-worst 9-24 record with a 4.08 earned run average (10th), 194 strikeouts (11th), 35 allowed home runs (third most) and a .269 opponent’s batting average (13th). Obviously, the team is in desperate need of a quality arm, and that is exactly what they could get when Eovaldi joins the squad.
The third year player posted a dismal 4-13 record with a 4.30 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 22 starts with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Marlins last season. With a little run support, which is something Miami has struggled to do this season, Eovaldi could make a difference for the team over the next few months.
