10 things we've learned at Marlins Spring Training

March 19th, 2023

JUPITER, Fla. -- Here are 10 observations from Marlins camp following Sunday afternoon’s 5-4 walk-off victory over the Astros at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

1. Segura is feeling more comfortable at third.
Since returning from the World Baseball Classic on Friday, has been getting extra work on the back fields with the coaching staff. Segura being limited to two at-bats and no time on defense for the Dominican Republic was a less-than-ideal situation considering he is relearning the hot corner (24 career MLB appearances). Segura flashed the leather twice on Sunday, showing he is capable of manning the position.

“Got balls to his left and right throwing on the run,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “He has plenty of arm strength to play that position. The glove has been there, he's played shortstop a lot in his big league career. Just getting the reps over there. He's such a good athlete with such good hands that he just needs the reps.”

2. The whole band’s back together.
Venezuela’s elimination in the Classic means second baseman will rejoin the club on Monday. Arraez, who homered twice in the 9-7 loss to the United States, had been starting at first for Venezuela. Like Segura, he is relearning a position. With a week remaining of Spring Training, Miami has played just two games with its projected lineup.

3. What happens if Fortes isn’t ready?
Backup catcher is dealing with right knee tendinitis, which has sidelined him since Friday. The Marlins are optimistic he’ll be good to go in a few days, but if he’s not, they will need to add a non-roster backstop -- likely Santiago Chavez or Austin Allen. Chavez would probably be the favorite because he’s a glove-first catcher who has been with the organization since 2019.

4. What’s up with Cueto?
Right-hander , who started the Dominican Republic’s game on Wednesday, will return to the mound in Monday’s Minor League game rather than Grapefruit League contest to practice calling his own pitches via PitchCom.

5. There’s no better place to learn center field.
Schumaker and outfield coach Jon Jay agreed the Marlins’ Spring Training complex will be the toughest park -- outside of Wrigley Field -- for .

“It's not easy,” Schumaker said. “The wind changes every inning, which I like, because he has to learn to figure out the elements every inning as well.”

6. Who are the 1+ relievers?
Miami is trying to figure out who can be relied upon for four outs or more. Right-handers and , as well as left-hander , are scheduled for that workload this upcoming week.

“Guys coming in, getting out of someone's inning, and then pitching that next inning, is valuable,” Schumaker said. “Not just multi-innings, but getting into a dirty inning and helping your guys out of a jam, and then hopefully putting up a zero the following inning is big.”

7. How will the outfield align?
Miami has experimented with and in both corner-outfield spots this spring, with the idea being that guys can move around depending on the ballpark dimensions and how it plays. Schumaker also said there will be no platoon situations, rather a mix of left, right and designated hitter throughout the season.

8. Could Bryan Hoeing be a sleeper addition to the bullpen?
Hoeing, who has been a starter his entire professional career, could be used as a multi-inning option moving forward. His stuff plays up in shorter spurts, and his sinker makes him a ground-ball machine, per Schumaker.

9. How is Skip as a skipper?
“I tell. It's pretty easy,” Schumaker said. “I'm pretty straightforward. I don't sugarcoat much. I think I always wanted to know where I stood. I wanted to know where I messed up, where I can get better at. These guys just want to know where they're at, and I think that you get confused when there's no conversations: tough ones, the good ones, whatever it is. We'll show them in meetings, we'll show them in front of people, we'll show them one on one. You have to stop being sensitive and check your feelings a little bit. It's gonna be OK if we're just trying to get better.”

10. Youngsters are getting looks.
This week alone, Marlins prospects Jacob Berry (No. 2), Yiddi Cappe (No. 7), Kahlil Watson (No. 13), Victor Mesa Jr. (No. 14) and Ian Lewis (No. 15) have appeared in Grapefruit League games. On Sunday, Mesa started in center field and recorded a sacrifice fly and the walk-off homer.