Rule 5 pick Campbell K's 4 in spring debut

Righty makes bid for roster spot amid crowded bullpen competition

March 17th, 2021

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Another player inserted himself into the conversation for Miami's Opening Day roster Tuesday night. Rule 5 Draft selection Paul Campbell pitched two scoreless innings in his Grapefruit League debut in the Marlins' 4-3 win over the Nationals at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

Campbell, ranked as the organization's No. 25 prospect per MLB Pipeline, struck out four of the six batters that he faced in the eighth and ninth. The 25-year-old right-hander focused on attacking the zone and maintaining a rhythm, and he accomplished that on 18 pitches (16 strikes).

"I'm just treating it like any other year," said Campbell, who had been away from camp dealing with a personal issue. "I try to work hard and stay consistent and control what I can control and let the rest take care of itself."

Postgame, manager Don Mattingly said that Campbell's next outings will come earlier in games so that he can face regulars in the middle of teams' orders. A Rule 5 Draft pick must stay on the active roster all season or be returned to his original club -- in this case, the Rays for Campbell. As a result, the Marlins want to make sure that they get a good look at Campbell and right-hander Zach Pop.

According to MLB Pipeline, Campbell generates high spin rates on his fastball, curveball and slider. The report goes on to say that he probably would be best served as a multi-inning reliever. In 2019, Campbell compiled a 3.67 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 27 games (20 starts) between the Class A Advanced and Double-A levels. He doubled his previous career high in innings with 144 2/3.

"I thought his stuff was good," Mattingly said during a Zoom call. "At one point, I look up there and he's thrown 12 out of 13 strikes. Threw a curveball for a strike, threw the slider for a strike. Looked like he could locate his fastball, so everything was really good."

Included in the bullpen mix are veterans Anthony Bass, Yimi García, Richard Bleier, Ross Detwiler, Adam Cimber and Dylan Floro. John Curtiss appeared in last fall's World Series while with Tampa Bay, while James Hoyt proved valuable as Miami's fireman in 2020. He does have an option remaining.

Game highlights

• No. 9 prospect Trevor Rogers allowed one run on four hits over four innings with one walk and five strikeouts against Washington's projected Opening Day lineup.

Joe Dunand opened the third with a homer to left-center against lefty Patrick Corbin. The third baseman also moved across the diamond to play first for five innings.

Adam Duvall knocked a two-run shot off Corbin later in the third, landing over the grass and onto the left-center concourse. All three of his hits during Grapefruit League play have been for extra bases.

• No. 27 prospect Jordan Holloway reached 98 mph and allowed one run while facing the heart of Washington's order in his Grapefruit League debut.

"It felt great," Holloway said during a Zoom call. "Obviously first game back, got the jitters out of the way. I was super excited to be out there. I'm really happy. Obviously a little later than usual, but nonetheless I'm out there and it was really exciting. I'm very happy with the way it went."

Roster moves
Miami optioned shortstop José Devers (No. 13 prospect) and outfielder Jerar Encarnación (No. 17 prospect) to Double-A Pensacola on Tuesday. Neither has played above the Class A Advanced level.

The 21-year-old Devers has appeared in nine Grapefruit League games, slashing .200/.357/.400 with a .757 OPS. Encarnación, whose camp arrival was delayed by visa issues, has played in five contests. The 23-year-old has seen time at first base and gone 2-for-7 at the plate.

"Both of them providing versatility on the field is great," Marlins general manager Kim Ng said last week during a Zoom call. "It only opens our options and their options even more. Devers has been impressive with the glove, and Encarnación is another big, strong outfielder with great offensive potential. I will tell you that these prospects have not disappointed."

The Marlins also reassigned non-roster invites Cody Poteet and Shawn Morimando. The right-handed Poteet allowed three runs over 3 1/3 innings, while the left-handed Morimando struck out six batters and permitted two runs over six innings across three outings.

Rojas the podcaster
On Monday, Rojas made his co-hosting debut on Chris Rose's new Jomboy Media podcast, "The Chris Rose Rotation." Rojas is one of six active Major Leaguers -- and the only position player -- who will appear on a rotating basis.

During the one-hour, 19-minute episode, Rojas discussed everything from meeting Marlins CEO Derek Jeter for the first time to leaving Venezuela and playing baseball in Montana as a 19-year-old.

Worth noting
Mattingly confirmed that the Marlins will begin the season with a five-man rotation despite two off-days within the first nine dates of the schedule.

Up next
Sandy Alcantara will make his fourth Grapefruit League start at 1:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday against the Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Miami will play without the designated hitter for the first time this spring.