Did team meeting settle score for sputtering, muttering Marlins?
MIAMI — Not only have the Miami Marlins disappointed on the field, now we’ve learned there is disharmony in the clubhouse.
The internal sniping had been simmering for a while, and finally reached the point where mild-mannered manager Don Mattingly called for a team meeting on Tuesday so the players could air their differences.
According to Jon Heyman in the New York Post, flashy second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was the subject of the 90-minute locker room vent session.
“The Meeting” headlines The Palm Beach Post’s five weekly takeaways:
Mattingly tries to restore order
Remember the 2020 Marlins’ “Bottom Feeders” battle cry?
That team embraced their underdog role to the fullest, and proudly called themselves: “bottom feeders.” They made T-shirts and rode that chat to the playoffs in a pandemic-shortened, 60-game season.
Today, clubhouse chemistry is a problem.
Trying to pull everyone together, manager Don Mattingly called for a team meeting on Tuesday, ahead of the three-game series with the Washington Nationals.
Even Mattingly didn’t sound convinced everyone is on the same page. He said as much afterward.
Heyman reports not all the Marlins are “as enamored as fans who love the style and sizzle.”
Shortstop Miguel Rojas, the unofficial team captain the past few years, spoke Wednesday about players being lax on team rules.
First baseman/designated hitter Garrett Cooper questioned if the meeting was necessary, calling much of the conversation, “a bunch of nonsense.” So there’s even a disconnect on public messaging. Mattingly certainly felt there was enough friction in the room to open the floor.
So, how do the Marlins turn things around?
For one, they had the good fortune of facing the rebuilding Nationals, a perfect bounce-back opponent. Miami did its part with a three-game sweep.
But to be a realistic playoff contender, Mattingly said the team must avoid the peaks and valleys.
“We’ve got to be more consistent,” Mattingly said. “You can’t play .500 baseball and expect to be one of the playoff teams. You’ve got to put games together. You’ve got to put series together.”
Miami opens a 10-game road trip, starting at the Houston Astros on Friday.
Sandy Alcantara is saving the season
As bumpy a ride as the first two months have been for the Marlins, thanks to the extra wild card spot, there’s still time to make a playoff run.
A big reason there is even some postseason hope is because of Sandy Alcantara. The ace of the staff is now one of the best pitchers in the sport.
Alcantara is on a remarkable run, having logged at least seven innings in five straight starts. He comes off a no-decision on Wednesday, where he logged nine shutout innings. In the 10th inning, Miami rallied to win, 2-1.
Since May 11, when his hot streak started, the right-hander has a 0.69 ERA, while striking out 40 in 39 innings, with just eight walks.
The Post caught up with Alcantara the day before his latest start. Soft-spoken and approachable, Alcantara said the day before he pitches is when he starts getting mentally ready. By the time he takes the mound, he’s an intense competitor.
“We’re talking right now, but that starts from today,” Alcantara said of when his off-field demeanor begins to harden. “Today is the day I prepare myself for tomorrow. My face will change a little bit. I’ll get a little mad, thinking about the game. When I get here tomorrow, with my positive mentality, I’ll go [out there] and pitch.”
Super stretch for Garrett Cooper
When you’re hot, you’re hot. Cooper is on one of those stretches where you sit back and watch, and don’t really question. Entering the road trip, he was 14-for-28 (.500) over his last seven games. In his last 15 games, he’s hitting .441 and over the past 30 games (one full month), he’s hitting .351.
With Chisholm leading off and Cooper batting second, the top of the Marlins’ order is providing plenty of opportunities to score runs. Now it’s up to the rest of the lineup to pick up the pace.
Luzardo not rushing his recovery
The rotation has received a boost from Edward Cabrera, who is 2-0 in his first two starts since being promoted from Triple-A Jacksonville.
Still, Miami misses left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who has been on the 15-day injured list with a left forearm strain. The former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School star has been on a no-throw status since, meaning he is weeks away from being reinstated. The left-hander last pitched on May 10, logging 2 2/3 innings at Arizona.
Luzardo says he’s improving, but he isn’t rushing anything. Before the injury, the southpaw had been impressing. His velocity was in the upper-90s, and he was racking up strikeouts, posting 41 in 29 innings.
Nick Fortes pushing Jacob Stallings
When catcher Jacob Stallings was acquired via trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates, the expectation was the Marlins found their everyday catcher.
Stallings was the National League Gold Glove-winning catcher in 2021, and he had a knack for delivering timely hits. He was a respectable .245 hitter with a .335 on-base percentage.
The 32-year-old’s first season with the Marlins has been a struggle, as he’s batting .197 with one home run and 18 RBIs. Even defensively, his framing is near the bottom, according to Baseball Savant. He’s cost a negative four runs, and he has a 45.1 strike percentage.
Fortes, in five games, already has two homers and six RBIs. Perhaps his name will be in the starting lineup more than one or two times a week.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Marlins takeaways team meeting problems
