2024 Marlins Opening Day rotation: Luzardo, Puk, Weathers, Rogers, TBD

[Kevin Barral]

Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker announced how his starting rotation will line up for the season-opening series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

JUPITER, FL—On Friday, Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker spoke to the media. Along with announcing that reliever Sixto Sánchez had made the Opening Day roster, Schumaker provided the team's initial 2024 starting rotation.

The rotation is as follows:

1) Jesús Luzardo (starting March 28 vs. PIT)

2) A.J. Puk (March 29 vs. PIT)

3) Ryan Weathers (March 30 vs. PIT)

4) Trevor Rogers (March 31 vs. PIT)

5) TBD* (April 1 vs. LAA)

*Craig Mish of SportsGrid reports that Max Meyer has made the Marlins roster and has the "inside track" to earning the No. 5 starter job.

Jesús Luzardo, who was supposed to make his final spring training start on Friday, instead threw a 50-pitch live bullpen at 10:00 a.m. Although it wasn't a game atmosphere, he did have hitters in the box to face.

"He got something out of it," said Schumaker. "He just didn't just go out there and throw a bullpen. He was there, there was intent. We put different situations there—acted like certain guys were up to bat, game-planning against for Opening Day."

Although Luzardo's final tune-up was postponed, it wasn't for Ryan Weathers and Trevor Rogers, who both got action in the backfields against Marlins minor leaguers. Weathers was 95-97 mph on his fastball and according to Schumaker, who watched both Weathers and Rogers, command was a little bit off if you asked Weathers himself, but he reached the pitch count that he wanted to as well as the velo.

The last time Trevor Rogers took the mound in a spring training game on Saturday, March 16, his fastball averaged 91.6 mph and topped out at 93.3 mph. On Thursday in the backfields, Schumaker said that he was 90-93 mph, which marks a second consecutive start where the velocity was down from his usual range.

"It's tough to sometimes get that those juices flowing," said Schumaker about pitching in the backfields in front of a small crowd and facing guys from your own organization. "The good news is he came out healthy he feels good. He's ready to be a part of our rotation."

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[Slacker Mills]

I'd start Sixto on Saturday, with a 50 pitch limit. He's been the team's most efficient pitcher this spring and could easily get three innings out of that. Then bring on a Weathers, for example, to go another three or four innings. I'm sure Sanchez would prefer one 50-pitch outing a week to two 25-pitch outings. (A lot of fans would turn our for a Sanchez start too.)

[Ely Sussman]

On 3/23/2024 at 10:03 AM, Slacker Mills said:

I'd start Sixto on Saturday, with a 50 pitch limit. He's been the team's most efficient pitcher this spring and could easily get three innings out of that. Then bring on a Weathers, for example, to go another three or four innings. I'm sure Sanchez would prefer one 50-pitch outing a week to two 25-pitch outings. (A lot of fans would turn our for a Sanchez start too.)

Well you're right about that last part: Sixto will be appointment viewing as long as he's effective. That won't dictate how the baseball decision-makers use him, of course.