Fredi has set the Marlins second half rotation, at least for now.
The Marlins will send Ricky Nolasco to the mound when they open the second half Friday at home against the Phillies. Rounding out the rotation: Scott Olsen, Andrew Miller, Josh Johnson and Chris Volstad.
Gonzalez is keeping his two left-handers together so they can face the Phillies, who through Saturday ranked 14th in the National League with a .249 batting average off lefties. The Phillies own the league's fifth-best on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.789) against them.
If Miller doesn't do any better than he has of late, he won't be long for the rotation.
Anibal is coming on with a vengeance.
Sanchez, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, pitched 52/3 scoreless innings for Jupiter on Sunday in his third rehab start. He allowed three hits and struck out six while throwing 85 pitches. Beinfest said the reports were positive. "The stuff was good," he said.
Anibal stills needs to pitch against better competition and also get some more reps but the way things are going, he could rejoin the Marlins rotation around the first of August. Which could make Miller will be the odd man out.
In my opinion this wouldn't be a bad thing given that even when he was able to string together some quality starts he still lacked command of his pitches. Miller has talent but he still needs to learn control and the majors isn't the place to do it. Let's face it, the catchers can only lunge for the pitch and run back to the screen to retrieve it so many times a game before getting exhausted. The minors play in smaller ballparks meaning the catchers shouldn't fatigue as quickly chasing down pitches.