Marlins notes: Dan Jennings trying to not make big deal of return
MIAMI -- Miami Marlins left-handed reliever Dan Jennings caught himself thinking about the level of competition he was facing Tuesday night.
Jennings knew if he left a pitch over the middle of the plate it would be hit hard. So Jennings stayed away, nibbling at the corners, resulting in a few balls. It was then he decided to throw strikes and keep the ball down to induce soft grounders.
Forgive Jennings for his initial hesitation. On Aug. 7, a liner by Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer struck him in the head. He visited a local hospital to undergo tests that confirmed a concussion but no further damage.
Upon his return to the big-league mound, Jennings knew if he tossed his best stuff it could still get hit, something he could get away with rehabbing in the minors.
"What I noticed is I always pitch like that a little bit," Jennings said. "Not necessarily afraid to give up a hard hit but try to pitch to your strengths so that every pitch you throw has the ability to not be hit hard. You're trying to throw your pitch at your spot. I noticed that last night that a lot of pitches I'm throwing them just off the plate where in a normal situation I am and a pitch I feel good about. ...
"That's just pitching -- it's not being afraid of getting the ball hit at you. That's trying to be successful and give yourself the best opportunity on the mound."
Over the past three weeks, Jennings has waited until the symptoms went away before rehabbing in Single-A Jupiter. More than anything, he was fortunate for the opportunity to pitch again this season rather than wait six months until spring training rolled around.
The 27-year-old equated it to having a bad outing and hoping to get over it by going back on the mound the next day.
"I've always wondered," Jennings said. "You see something like that happen and you wonder how guys are going to react and how you would react in that situation. I've always felt like I've always done a good job of not making a big deal out of it. I think that's a scary situation, but I'm handling it well and try not to make a big deal out of it."
In two scoreless innings, Jennings permitted two hits, struck out two batters and walked one. He stranded an inherited runner in the sixth and worked around consecutive singles to open the seventh. Jennings ran out of gas in the eighth and was replaced after two outs.
Jennings lowered his ERA to 0.97 in 39 outings this season.
"Just real happy to get it over with," Jennings said. "I'm glad I didn't have to wait around a week. (Manager Mike Redmond) tried to get me in there two nights ago. I was glad it was the second day. Get that feeling out of the way. You don't want to be thinking about it too long. Thought about it long enough."
NOT SATISFIED
Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton continues to make a case for National League MVP honors.
His two-run homer Tuesday night was his 35th of the season and put him at 101 RBI through 137 games. Both numbers lead the league.
"For me I realize it, I acknowledge it," Stanton said. "I don't look up at the board every day. The only reminders I have are you guys, really. Make sure I'm staying on point. I analyze everything at the end of the year to see maybe one month always is different against this team or ballpark. You worry about that in the offseason."
Stanton became just the 12th Marlins player to drive in 100 in a season and the last since Dan Uggla did it in 2010. The only other guy in franchise history with 35-plus long balls and 100-plus RBI? Gary Sheffield.
Could he make a run at Sheffield's line of 42 homers and 120 RBI in a single season?
"I'm not worried about that," Stanton said. "Yesterday we lost. Great, 100 (RBI), but we lost. Personal stuff we worry about Oct. 1. It's a great group of numbers right there. We have a month left. No stopping."
UNCERTAINTY IN ROTATION
How the rotation shapes up over the next week depends on right-hander Henderson Alvarez's progress from a left oblique strain.
Alvarez, who exited Monday's start after just 2 1/3 innings, played catch with right-handed reliever A.J. Ramos prior to batting practice on Wednesday. He would also need to throw a bullpen on Thursday to show he is healthy and can pitch Sunday.
"We'll know more after he plays catch," Redmond said. "We're all still hopeful he'll be able to pitch. I'm trying to be optimistic. I want to be optimistic, but it's (an) oblique. I think we all encountered those things with guys, and that's a tough injury especially for a pitcher. Really it's going to be up to him and how he feels going forward. We're going to do the right thing and make sure he's feeling good. If he goes out there (he) pitches without any discomfort."
The fifth spot in the rotation, which comes up next Tuesday, must also be determined. Veteran Brad Penny allowed four runs on seven hits in just three innings in Tuesday's 8-6 loss to the New York Mets.
Should the Marlins decide to go in another direction, options include rookie Andrew Heaney and southpaw Brad Hand. Hand had started two games on the last roadtrip but struggled. Penny got the nod this homestand.
"That's definitely a question mark too," Redmond said. "We can bring Tom Koehler back on Monday and have that spot come up on Tuesday. We do have some question marks and some of it does depend on what we do on Sunday as to where we go on Tuesday. Give me something to think about on the offday (Thursday)."
WORTH NOTING
Redmond wants to get right-handed reliever Bryan Morris into Wednesday's game for his first action since Aug. 23. Morris has been nursing a groin strain. Had the Marlins knotted Tuesday's game, Redmond would've turned to Morris in one of the latter innings.
You can follow Christina De Nicola on Twitter @CDeNicola13 or email her at cdenicola13@gmail.com.
