Marlins-Rockies game postponed. The details, including Miami’s doubleheader pitching plans
With an all-night rain settling in over Coors Field, the Marlins and Rockies postponed the middle game of their three-game set Tuesday and plan to make up the game as part of a traditional doubleheader Wednesday.
The first game is scheduled for a 3:10 p.m. start, with the nightcap starting no later than 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
The Marlins had questions coming into Tuesday, when injuries in the rotation meant they would need a spot starter for the game that has since been postponed.
Edward Cabrera is with the team, though he is not officially on the roster yet. He is expected to start one of the games Wednesday with Trevor Rogers starting the other game, according to team officials. The Marlins had not announced who will pitch which game at the time of the postponement, and with continued rain forecast for Wednesday, they are not expected to make roster moves until they know one or both games will be played.
Cabrera debuted with the Marlins in 2021, making seven starts and posting an 0-3 record with a 5.81 ERA, walking 19 and striking out 28 in 26 1/3 innings. The right-hander, MLB’s No. 49 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was in contention for a spot in the starting rotation during spring training, but a biceps injury delayed his season debut until now.
Another question facing the Marlins is the health of third baseman Joey Wendle, who left Monday’s game after aggravating his hamstring sliding into second base in the fourth inning. The team reported the reason for his leaving the game as “right hamstring discomfort.”
Wendle had been on the injured list with a right hamstring strain from May 12 through last Thursday, and manager Don Mattingly expressed concern about the recurring injury after Monday’s game.
“Obviously it’s not good when it’s the same leg you’re coming off the rehab with,” Mattingly said.
Infielder/outfielder Luke Williams and right-handed reliever Zach Pop also joined Miami as part of the taxi squad Tuesday, and Williams would be a potential replacement on the roster for Wendle, if his injury is serious enough to warrant a return trip to the IL.
Williams, 25, debuted with the Phillies last season and was designated for assignment this spring. The Giants picked him up, and he was designated again last week. Williams is a career .245 hitter (27-for-110) with a homer and nine RBI in 66 games. He has been with the Marlins Triple A affiliate, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, since Thursday, playing infield in all three weekend games in Scranton before heading to Denver on Monday.
“The coaches wanted me to get comfortable and happy playing the positions I’m most comfortable at,” Williams said Tuesday after the postponement was announced. “Third and second are probably most comfortable for me. I consider myself an infielder first, but I can definitely hold my own in the outfield.”
Among the challenges Williams has faced is to be effective off the bench as a pinch-hitter without much big league time under his belt.
“I still have a long way to go,” Williams said. “I learned new things about myself every day, and the biggest thing for me is being able to consistently hit. Coming off the bench is kind of new for me. I learned from Brad Miller with the Phillies and Darren Ruf with the Giants that it’s finding a routine that works for you in the cage and not doing too much, not exhausting yourself [preparing] during the game. Just doing enough to be ready, and then it’s a mindset that ‘I’m not gonna get out.’”
