JUPITER, Fla. -- Opening Day is a little more than two weeks away, and the Marlins still have several unanswered questions regarding the bullpen -- so much so that the ‘pen is the most unsettled of all the positions. The Marlins are weighing all of their options, with those currently in camp and those who may be on other rosters.

“It’s a pretty wide-open area for us right now,” manager Don Mattingly said. “There’s a few guys there that we feel comfortable with. But there’s another whole group where there are some spots there.”

In Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Yankees at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, the bullpen combined to throw four shutout innings. Expected closer Brandon Kintzler and left-hander Stephen Tarpley (formerly with the Yankees) each worked a clean inning. Non-roster invitees Aaron Northcraft and Alex Vesia also put up scoreless innings, improving the Marlins’ Grapefruit League record to 12-5-2.

Like all clubs, the Marlins have scouts spread out across camps in Florida and Arizona.

“You’re always looking to get better,” Mattingly said. “There are guys this time of year who are out of options, and things like that. We have people all over, just like every team does, monitoring to see if anyone is a fit for us. Or the guys right here in camp, the guys we’re comfortable with.”

Injuries have also affected the bullpen.

Ryne Stanek is dealing with tightness in his lower back, and Jeff Brigham has a strained right biceps. Both could start the season on the injured list, with Brigham a candidate for the 60-day IL, which would free up a spot on the 40-man roster.

• Hill: In building roster, 'you never take rests'

Another potential bullpen option is non-roster invitee Ryan Cook, who has missed most of camp with a toe injury. Cook has been throwing off a mound, and the quality of his pitches has been good.

Still, he hasn’t yet played in a game.

With rosters now at 26, and all clubs carrying 13 pitchers, the Marlins still have some time to figure out how the eight bullpen jobs pan out.

“I think as spring plays itself out here down the stretch, we’ll have a better feel of who that’s going to be,” Mattingly said.

Vesia still scoreless
All he does is throw up zeros.

Vesia did it again on Wednesday, closing out the ninth inning for his second Grapefruit League save. That extends his string of scoreless innings to 41 1/3, with five of them coming this spring.

Vesia last gave up a run on July 13, 2019, while pitching for Class A Jupiter. His streak spans from Jupiter up to Double-A Jacksonville and the Arizona Fall League.

"I keep things simple,” Vesia said. “In high school, my freshman year, my parents, when I did well, were like, ‘You have this ERA. You have this many strikeouts.’ Over the course of that period, towards the end of that season, I was like, ‘Don’t tell me that.'

“That’s a big thing of mine,” he added. “I don’t look at any of that stuff. I don’t look at my stats. I don’t look at my ERA, strikeouts, walks. I don’t even really look at any other stuff. I go out there, and my only goal is to put up a zero.”

Vesia, a 17th-round pick in 2018, remains in big league camp a month into Spring Training. If he doesn’t make the big league club, he projects to start off at Triple-A Wichita.

“He’s been really good,” Mattingly said. “Obviously, [he's] a guy who was jumping levels last year. He jumped two or three levels, pitched in the Fall League. He’s been good. Nothing not to like. On the attack. Throws strikes.”

Sandy states his case
Nothing has officially been announced, but right-hander Sandy Alcantara on Wednesday threw more like the Opening Day starter he's expected to be in his five innings against the Yankees.

Alcantara scattered three hits, allowing one run, striking out four and walking two.

The outing was encouraging considering he had nine walks in seven innings entering Wednesday.

“We’re on the right track,” Mattingly said.

Alcantara’s fastball touched 98 mph, and he mixed in his two-seam and four-seam fastball, along with his slider.

“I wanted to be consistent throwing strikes, and consistently attacking the hitters,” Alcantara said. “Everybody knows we have two more weeks. I’m trying to prepare and be ready for Opening Day.”

Up next
The Marlins on Thursday are the visiting team against the Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium for the 1:05 p.m. ET Grapefruit League game. José Ureña, who has secured a rotation spot, will get the start for Miami. Catch the action live on MLB.TV.