With 10-game stretch ahead, a look at Miami Marlins’ plans for their pitching rotation

With the Miami Marlins attempting to come back in their eventual 5-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday and starter Cody Poteet only going three innings, manager Don Matttingly sent Elieser Hernandez to the mound for the fifth inning.

Hernandez, who has exclusively been pitching as a starter the past three seasons, threw a perfect inning, getting Yandy Diaz to fly out to left field and Ji-Man Choi and Randy Arozarena to strike out swinging. He needed just 13 pitches to retire the side.

“He did a nice job,” Mattingly said.

But with the Marlins already down a starting pitcher with Jesus Luzardo on the injured list with a left forearm strain, what impact — if any — does Hernandez pitching Wednesday have on the Marlins’ starting rotation for the immediate future?

“Doesn’t do anything to it moving forward,” Mattingly said.

The reasoning behind that: Hernandez’s last outing before Wednesday came on Saturday. With the Marlins having off days on either side of their two-game set with the Rays, the Marlins had flexibility with their starting pitching plans for their upcoming series against the Atlanta Braves that starts Friday at Truist Park.

Trevor Rogers, who last pitched Friday, is pitching the series opener. Sandy Alcantara, who last pitched Sunday, is starting Saturday.

Hernandez was slotted for Sunday’s finale against the Braves, meaning he would have gone eight days between live action.

So Mattingly had no problem using Hernandez for a short stint on Wednesday.

“It’s almost like his bullpen,” Mattingly said. “He gets to see hitters and not have to sit eight days and not go out there. ... He’s right in the rotation where he fits.”

But the Marlins are getting to the point where they have to make a decision on what to do with Luzardo’s spot in the rotation. Their series with Atlanta begins a stretch of 10 consecutive days without an off day. That means two full turns of the rotation, with Tuesday marking the first of the two days they will need a fifth starting pitcher with Pablo Lopez projected to start on Monday.

“We’ve been talking about it,” Mattingly said of the team’s plan for the final rotation spot.

Luzardo did not travel with the team to begin the road trip, remaining in Miami to continue his rehab process. As of Tuesday, he was not throwing.

Poteet has made two starts since Luzardo’s injury after beginning the season as the Marlins’ long reliever out of the bullpen. He threw 4 2/3 shutout innings on May 17 against the Washington Nationals and gave up five runs in his three-inning start Wednesday, with all five runs coming in the first inning before he retired eight of the final 10 batters he faced Poteet also threw two innings of relief on Saturday, meaning he pitched on three days of rest each of his last two outings.

Poteet has a 2.42 ERA over 26 innings, with five of the seven earned runs he has allowed coming in the first inning Wednesday.

“We like what Cody’s doing, period,” Mattingly said. “We’ve used him in a variety of roles. He’s been really good in all of them. It’s something that we’re talking about. What do we do with him? What’s the best thing for our team as a whole? Where do you fit him? Do you try to fit him in [the rotation] or is he more valuable out of the bullpen?”

Poteet, meanwhile, isn’t focused on what role the Marlins give him. Whether he starts or comes out of the bullpen, whether he throws one inning or multiple when he goes on the mound is irrelevant to him.

“I’m just trying to pitch whatever they want to have me pitching, whatever situation,” Poteet said. “That’s kind of above my pay grade. Just try and go out there and put up zeros whenever my name is called.”

Another potential option for the rotation in the minor-league ranks — if not in the immediate then down the road — is Edward Cabrera. The Marlins’ fourth-ranked prospect and No. 49 overall prospect in baseball has made four starts in Triple A Jacksonville after his season was delayed due to right biceps muscle fatigue. He struck out 11 while giving up two runs over six innings on Friday and is scheduled to pitch for the Jumbo Shrimp on Thursday.

Outside of Cabrera, the rest of the Marlins’ top starting pitching prospects who are or may be big-league ready — Max Meyer, Sixto Sanchez, Braxton Garrett and Jordan Holloway — are all hurt.