Meyer flashes potential after early adversity

ATLANTA -- Thursday night could have easily gotten away from Max Meyer.

Making just his fifth Major League start since missing all of 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Meyer struck out the first batter he faced, but then ran into trouble in the Marlins' 4-2 loss to the Braves at Truist Park. An 0-2 slider to Austin Riley caught too much of the plate and was sent just over the short right-field wall, then a hard-hit single and a Matt Olson home run had Meyer staring at a three-run deficit before recording the second out.

He escaped the first without more trouble, but then the second inning saw a one-out double and a two-out walk bring Riley back to the plate with men on the corners and a chance to really break things open. With a 2-2 count, Meyer blew a fastball past Riley to escape the threat.

That moment seemed like a real turning point for the 25-year-old right-hander.

“It was impressive how he bounced back,” manager Skip Schumaker said of the Marlins’ No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. “Young pitcher, that could have easily gone sideways -- and not get through the first inning, honestly.”

The rest of the game, Meyer limited the Braves to three hits and one run -- an Orlando Arcia third-inning homer on a fastball that caught too much of the plate. Meyer really turned it on over his last two innings, retiring six straight to end his night, including striking out four of the last five batters on his way to a career-high-tying seven strikeouts.

The start showcased what the Marlins like about Meyer’s mental makeup. He didn’t allow the early trouble to change his approach. He continued to attack the strike zone, limiting himself to just one walk and throwing nearly 70% of his pitches for strikes.

“He had a tough first inning -- that happens," Schumaker said. "But it shows you what kind of mentality that he has, and to get through five was pretty impressive today."

It also gave Meyer a chance to push himself. While Meyer has been on an innings limit all season, Schumaker indicated before the game that the righty will get more opportunities to go deeper into games. Against the Braves, he retired all four batters his third time through the lineup, including striking out three of them with his slider.

Going deeper into the game also allowed Meyer a chance to dig deeper into his repertoire. Late in the game, he started using his changeup more often and he broke out a two-seam fastball that he’s been working on to help him get outs against right-handers.

“The changeup, I should have thrown it earlier,” Meyer said. “I don’t know what goes on in my head that I don’t throw it earlier, but I’ve got to get that going because I trust it a lot.”

For a Marlins team that made a significant investment in young talent at Tuesday’s Trade Deadline, this kind of start shows the promise that the organization is looking for. But for Meyer, it’s the first inning that he’ll remember and learn from.

“I can’t try to out-stuff everyone,” Meyer said. “Early I was trying to out-stuff them -- hard slider, hard fastball -- but I saw what can happen later in the game. Started throwing the changeup more, throwing the bigger slider and going in on them with the sinker.

"Obviously, I always want to give the team a chance to win, so I’ve got to be more efficient and get some more early outs.”