Chris Volstad's sinker isn't sinking

Chris Volstad's recent troubles have been because his sinker won't sink, like this is news to you.

After Tuesday's 8-2 loss to the Red Sox, Marlins right-hander Chris Volstad talked about how his breaking pitches were off.

On Wednesday, pitching coach Mark Wiley offered another observation.

"It was his sinker more than his break ball," Wiley said. "He's got to get that sinker back. Everything comes off that for him."

At 6-foot-8, Volstad is at his best when his two-seam fastball -- or sinker -- is breaking straight down. That's been a key pitch for him. But an indication that his pitchers were flat, and the sinker wasn't working, can be seen by the amount of ground ball to fly ball outs. In 3 2/3 innings, the Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., native had five fly ball outs and three groundball outs.

Normally when this happens it is a mechanical problem, which hopefully, will be ironed out by his next start.  But this is two starts in-a-row so it is time to hit the video room and watch his off-day throwing session closely.