58 replies to this topic

[Larry]

Marlins manager Mike Redmond didn’t have an optimistic tone today when he was asked abotu the struggles of starting pitcher Jacob Turner.

“Definitely a concern,” Redmond said before today’s game against the Yankees.

The Marlins had the day off Thursday but Redmond watched Turner pitch in a minor league game in Jupiter against the St. Louis Cardinals’ Class AAA team. Redmond said Turner walked three batters and gave up a couple of runs in three innings.

Not including that game, Turner has not been sharp in two Grapefruit League starts, both against the Cardinals: In 3 1/3 total innings, he alled allowed six earned runs and walked four. He also hit a batter and struck out two. His ERA: 16.20

“I’m concerned about him,” Redmond said.

“He still has a couple of more outings so hopefully he can get it going. He just struggled. Mostly command problems.”

Turner will start Tuesday against the Cardinals — yes, a third start against St. Louis.

He came into camp as a possible two or three starter in the rotation. If he continues to struggle, there’s always a chance he could lose his spot, especially if John Maine and Kevin Slowey can pitch well over the final two weeks of camp.

“His (previous) outing was much better but this one (yesterday) he seemed like he scuffled,” Redmond said.

“He had trouble with his command. Again. I mean, it’s definitely a concern. Hopefully he can get it going over his next couple of starts,” Redmond said.

“We need a guy in that rotation who can go in there and pound the strike zone and give us innings. We’re so young in that starting rotation as is that we got to make sure that guy gives us the innings that we need.

“We are young there and we’re going to have some times when guys will struggle through lineups. That happens with every team but that’s one of the concerns. We got to make sure our guys are pounding he strike zone and they can get as deep into games as they possibly can.

“For me watching, it’s more of command. Did he have command of his fastball? Did he have command of his breaking pitches? He had three walks. Definitely a concern. It looked like it was struggle.” …

On Saturday, the Marlins play the Mets in Port St. Lucie. Third baseman Placido Polanco (oblique) and infielder Greg Dobbs (calf strain) are scheduled to play.

 

Palm Beach Post

 

http://blogs.palmbea...tely-a-concern/

[Benched]

Nolasco

Alvarez

Eovaldi

Maine/Slowey

LeBlanc

 

Help?

[fanofthefish]

I don't think it will help to send him to AAA either, its too cold early in the season, might better off to send him to Jax to work on his stuff

[Erick]

Slowey is gonna make it. It's pretty obvious Redmond likes him.

[Hotcorner]

odd - it was only a month or so with the Marlins but Turner's command seemed really strong last season.  Still, 3 walks in 3 innings isn't a meltdown or anything - yeah he needs to go right after guys in AAA but I mean losing his spot - that would be a mistake imo.  Hopefully Red just trying to spark him a little.

 

 

he's got a few more outings, plenty of time to clean it up.

[BenderRobot]

Could be a number of things. Maybe overthrowing?

[anotherrealfan]

odd - it was only a month or so with the Marlins but Turner's command seemed really strong last season.  Still, 3 walks in 3 innings isn't a meltdown or anything - yeah he needs to go right after guys in AAA but I mean losing his spot - that would be a mistake imo.  Hopefully Red just trying to spark him a little.

 

 

he's got a few more outings, plenty of time to clean it up.

Hope he turns it around, but it would be worse not to send him down if he continues to struggle.  He is too young to try to fight through it and figure it out at this level, that would be a mistake. 

[Das Texan]

There would be no real point of sending him down other than to admonish him needlessly.

 

He wont really gain anything and tbh, its not like this team is winning anything significant this year as it is.

 

Just throw him in the rotation, get him all of his starts and see where he is after 2013.  

[Erick]

And then if he sucks, we can always make excuses for him and blame the front office by saying he was rushed just like Andrew Miller! 

[pollyvonwog]

Nolasco

Alvarez

Eovaldi

Maine/Slowey

LeBlanc

 

Help?

 

Pls help

[Das Texan]

And then if he sucks, we can always make excuses for him and blame the front office by saying he was rushed just like Andrew Miller! 

 

Minor League Innings Prior to getting to the Marlins:

 

Miller:  102

 

Turner: 330.2

[pollyvonwog]

but really I don't see anything to be concerned with... It's Spring. Training. 

[Erick]

This is the part of the game that people who say "lolz stats. Watch the games" probably have a point (perhaps the only time, really). We haven't really watched Turner pitch so who knows? Redmond has watched him. The pitching coaches have watched him. If he can't throw strikes, that's a problem. If it's a mechanical issue, that should be fixed in the minor leagues. 

 

For what it's worth, Turner's low WHIP last year with us was due to a very low walk rate. That walk rate is probably not sustainable. Throwing first-pitch strikes is one indicator of sustainable walk rates and Turner's rate of first pitch strikes was below average last year. 

All in all, he threw 42 innings with us which is also a small sample. If you look at his other innings thrown last year (13 with Detroit, ~90 in AAA), his walk rate was poor. 
It's not as if he shouldn't have to earn his spot in Spring Training.

 

If he's having issues, I don't see a problem with sending him down. The guy is only 21. 

[Jimmy42Jack0]

I think he will figure it out pretty quickly. spring training is exactly that

[Das Texan]

I dont get it though.  In his last real start, Turner threw 4 balls total.  All to Oscar Taveras.  That's it.  

 

I mean he threw strikes to every other batter.  

 

Perhaps the bigger issue was Turner just not being as amped up for a minor league start on the side.

[dim]

Turner has pitched more than enough in the minors. If you look at his time in the rotation last season, he only had two or three bad outings. I think, given the weakness of our starting rotation, Turner earned a spot in the starting rotation regardless of his spring training stats.

 

If he sucks the month of April, then you send him down. But give him a chance when the games actually matter.

[AndyCole]

I dont get it though.  In his last real start, Turner threw 4 balls total.  All to Oscar Taveras.  That's it.  

 

I mean he threw strikes to every other batter.  

 

Perhaps the bigger issue was Turner just not being as amped up for a minor league start on the side.

For the 100th time....they do not track balls in spring training games.

[Das Texan]

I dont get it though.  In his last real start, Turner threw 4 balls total.  All to Oscar Taveras.  That's it.  

 

I mean he threw strikes to every other batter.  

 

Perhaps the bigger issue was Turner just not being as amped up for a minor league start on the side.

For the 100th time....they do not track balls in spring training games.

 

You've said it twice.  Not 100.  Its highly retarded that in 2013 they do not track balls though.  

 

Regardless Turner threw 61% strikes in his last start against STL, which is fairly good.

[Larry]

I still think Turner will make the team.

[AndyCole]

 

I dont get it though.  In his last real start, Turner threw 4 balls total.  All to Oscar Taveras.  That's it.  

 

I mean he threw strikes to every other batter.  

 

Perhaps the bigger issue was Turner just not being as amped up for a minor league start on the side.

For the 100th time....they do not track balls in spring training games.

 

You've said it twice.  Not 100.  Its highly retarded that in 2013 they do not track balls though.  

 

Regardless Turner threw 61% strikes in his last start against STL, which is fairly good.

 

 

2 Times then;)

 

Anyway did u seriously think that he only threw 4 balls in that outing?

[Das Texan]

 

 

I dont get it though.  In his last real start, Turner threw 4 balls total.  All to Oscar Taveras.  That's it.  

 

I mean he threw strikes to every other batter.  

 

Perhaps the bigger issue was Turner just not being as amped up for a minor league start on the side.

For the 100th time....they do not track balls in spring training games.

 

You've said it twice.  Not 100.  Its highly retarded that in 2013 they do not track balls though.  

 

Regardless Turner threw 61% strikes in his last start against STL, which is fairly good.

 

 

2 Times then;)

 

Anyway did u seriously think that he only threw 4 balls in that outing?

 

 

i should have known better.

 

still beyond retarded that in 2013 with all the technology they cannot keep track of pitch counts in spring training box scores. I'm truly blown away, its like they are team USA in the WBC and are just going through the motions.

[Larry]

Das is old, he's still amazed by electricity.

[gizmo]

i should have known better.

 

still beyond retarded that in 2013 with all the technology they cannot keep track of pitch counts in spring training box scores. I'm truly blown away, its like they are team USA in the WBC and are just going through the motions.

 

Oh they definitely can. They just don't care to.

[Das Texan]

i should have known better.

 

still beyond retarded that in 2013 with all the technology they cannot keep track of pitch counts in spring training box scores. I'm truly blown away, its like they are team USA in the WBC and are just going through the motions.

 

Oh they definitely can. They just don't care to.

 

kinda like the USA squad in the WBC.  They could all show up, they just dont care to.

[BroncoBob27]

i should have known better.

 

still beyond retarded that in 2013 with all the technology they cannot keep track of pitch counts in spring training box scores. I'm truly blown away, its like they are team USA in the WBC and are just going through the motions.

 

Oh they definitely can. They just don't care to.

 

It just doesn't make much sense to do it.  Pitchers are working on certain pitches each time out, not using everything they have.  Sometimes working on new pitches that they may never even use in the regular season.  Why would you want to keep track of that stuff?  This is the time in ST coaches just watch their pitchers.  See if their delivery stays the same, how they work out of certain situations, how they react to bad calls or getting hit hard, etc.....