WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- There was a little more purpose in Edward Cabrera's fastball on Monday, especially after the 21-year-old surrendered a home run to the first batter he faced in the fifth inning.

Immediately after allowing a long ball to Adrían Sanchez, Cabrera blazed a fastball to Taylor Gushue that was recorded at 100 mph.

“I kind of focused a little bit more, and said, ‘Yeah, whatever,’” Cabrera said through an interpreter about his triple-digits delivery to Gushue. “Just keep going forward.”

The way Cabrera’s been throwing in Spring Training, not much is slowing down the hard-throwing right-hander, who has certainly caught the Marlins’ attention. He worked two innings on Monday in Miami’s 3-2 loss to the Nationals at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

Cabrera’s fastball was mostly in the 97-98 mph range, and he struck out Juan Soto to lead off the sixth inning on a 94 mph changeup. Both of his strikeouts came on changeups.

“My mentality, when I was facing [Soto], was I want to win against this hitter,” Cabrera said. “I realize this is one of the greatest hitters in baseball, right now. That’s my mentality. I just wanted to win that at-bat.”

Cabrera caught Soto off guard on his 94 mph changeup, which is a velocity that is higher than many pitchers' fastballs.

“He’s got great stuff,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “More than anything, you see the bounce back. He didn’t get rattled. He got back after it. That’s what you like to see.”

The bounce back was settling in after surrendering the home run to Sanchez, which came on a 97 mph fastball with the count, 3-1.

“It’s something that I keep learning,” Cabrera said. “It’s very important to stay ahead in the count. Once you get behind in the count, that’s when you get in trouble.”

Cabrera, who is on the 40-man roster, is projected to start off at Double-A Jacksonville. But the Marlins have made it clear that those who perform could rise quickly to the big leagues. Cabrera has an electric fastball, and an improving changeup to go with a curveball. Even with his 100 mph fastball on Monday, it was the 92-94 mph changeups that also had hitters looking uncomfortable.

“It’s something very difficult to explain,” Cabrera said of his changeup. “I grab it as a changeup, and I throw it as a fastball. And it just does its thing. I treat it as a fastball, and I’m learning to manage that pitch. That’s my second-best pitch, after my fastball.”

Anderson finding his timing
A fractured bone in his left hand caused third baseman Brian Anderson to miss the final six weeks of the 2019 season. Fully recovered, Anderson is in the process of getting back into a groove. On Monday, he laced a double to left field in Miami’s two-run fourth inning.

In six games Anderson is 2-for-14 (.143) with both hits being doubles. He was 1-for-3 on Monday, with a groundout in the first inning and a hard lineout to center in the sixth.

“This is the first game I’ve played on the road so far in Spring Training,” Anderson said. “Normally, I’m the guy on those road trips. It’s a matter of me getting those at-bats, and just seeing pitchers. I don’t know if I’ve seen a lefty yet. Maybe one.”

The Marlins went mostly with their regular position players in each of the past two games, and players are now getting three at-bats compared to one or two in the first week.

“It’s a matter of seeing different guys,” Anderson said. “Seeing sinkers, breaking balls. You just have to get that timing and see more pitches.”

That should happen the deeper the team gets into camp.

Boxberger impressing
Non-roster invitee Brad Boxberger again continues to impress in the early part of camp. The 31-year-old tossed a scoreless inning with one strikeout on Monday.

In 3 1/3 scoreless innings this spring, he has four strikeouts, no walks and one hit batter.

Boxberger’s velocity has been 93-94 mph, which is important because it creates separation between his fastball and changeup.

“He’s been good,” Mattingly said. “He’s been more than expected. He’s got velo back. He’s been touching 93-94, and with that changeup, that just adds to it. He’s got a little cutter too.

“I’ve been happy with the way he’s throwing the ball. Obviously, that’s an experienced guy who has thrown in the back end of games. Obviously, we have to see what happens all the way through camp.”

Up next

Jordan Yamamoto, competing for the fifth starter spot, will make his second Grapefruit League start and third appearance. The right-hander has logged five innings and is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA, with six strikeouts and no walks. Noah Syndergaard is schedule to pitch for the Mets at 1:10 p.m. ET at Port St. Lucie. Watch or listen live on MLB.com.