MIAMI — Gregory Santos had simply fired a nasty slider that Tyler Locklear managed to foul off into the web of the batting cage.
Santos appeared towards the coaches for a contemporary baseball to proceed his stay batting observe session. Simply as one was fired to him, bullpen catcher Fleming Baez corralled the foul ball within the cage and likewise tossed it towards Santos.
The large right-hander caught the ball from the coaches and turned his again to the plate simply in time for the throw from Baez to hit him squarely within the left cheek of his rear finish. Shocked by what occurred, Santos walked off the mound, grabbed the place the ball hit and appeared a little bit peeved.
Standing on the ledge behind the batting cage, supervisor Scott Servais took off his hat and raised his arms in disbelief and frustration.
This couldn’t be taking place. How might the baseball gods be so merciless?
The stay batting observe session, which was an vital step towards lastly getting Santos again from the injured listing, had been going so properly.
However after a number of seconds, maybe including to the drama, Santos circled and smiled on the coaches and his teammates gathered across the cage.
It made Luis Castillo, who was standing subsequent to Servais, break into laughter, notably after his supervisor’s response.
Santos bought again on the mound and resumed firing nasty pitches to Locklear, together with a slider for a swinging strike three.
After going through Ryan Bliss, then Locklear after which Bliss once more, Santos’ stay BP was finished. He threw roughly 10 pitches at most effort.
“It was actually good,” Santos mentioned by way of interpreter Freddy Llanos. “Every little thing felt nice. There was no discomfort, and I used to be attacking the zone. It simply felt good.”
However did it really feel good when he bought hit with the ball.
“It’s OK,” he mentioned with a smile. “That stuff occurs.”
The stuff on Santos’ pitches additionally occurred, leaving teammates in awe. After watching the stay BP, Bryan Woo checked out Bryce Miller, shook his head and easily mentioned, “Wow.”
Bliss had the batter’s field view of it. He was simply joyful that Santos didn’t break his bat within the session.
“I can’t look forward to him to be again on the workforce,” Bliss mentioned. “It’s simply bowling-ball sinkers. You don’t actually see them, they usually really feel like splitters. And that slider is wipeout. It’s fairly spectacular what he can do with the ball.”
Dripping with sweat, Santos was elated to face hitters once more. He missed the push of competing.
“Even earlier than the hitter steps into the field, as quickly as I can see them, my adrenaline begins pumping,” Santos mentioned.
Whereas the small print haven’t been finalized, Santos mentioned the schedule seems like a bullpen session when the workforce travels to Tampa, adopted by one other stay batting observe session the place he would enhance his pitch complete. After that, he would begin a rehab task and make a handful of outings.
After beginning the season on the injured listing because of a lat pressure suffered in spring coaching and struggling setbacks in his restoration, Santos simply needs to contribute to a bullpen that’s dire want of his presence and manufacturing.
“I don’t even suppose I can describe it in phrases,” he mentioned. “I believe I’m simply able to be a part of this workforce and simply having the ability to do what I can to assist this workforce. I simply wish to be part of it.”
Be aware
The Marlins beginning rotation, which had already been decimated by accidents, continued to battle to search out wholesome arms. Saturday’s scheduled starter Jesus Luzardo was scratched and positioned on the 15-day injured listing with a stress fracture in his again. Miami began right-hander Shaun Anderson in his place.
Earlier than Saturday’s sport, Marlins supervisor Skip Schumacher introduced that lefty Braxton Garrett, the scheduled starter for Sunday’s collection finale, was additionally being scratched because of elbow discomfort. In his place can be right-hander Kyle Tyler.