Notes: López sharp in ST start; catcher depth

JUPITER, Fla. -- It might've been a Spring Training game without any of the Astros' regulars standing in the box, but Marlins right-hander Pablo López still felt nervous on Saturday afternoon in the 10-2 win over the Astros at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

López struck out four across two scoreless innings in his Grapefruit League debut, stranding a runner at third to cap his outing. He reached a maximum velocity of 95 mph (94.1 mph average during 2021), and threw all of his pitches.

"I feel like the main goal, idea today was commanding the fastball," López said. "Everything works off your fastball, so you want to be able to establish it, command it. I think I was able to do that, and then we tried to mix in a couple breaking balls, offspeeds here and there. Those usually take a little longer into spring to really get a handle on them. But you've got to throw them all the time so you can get that feeling. I think I was able to throw some good ones in good counts, and obviously ... as my rhythm get better, I know the execution and the consistency will get better."

Miami is confident it can contend in the competitive National League East, and that belief comes from its talented rotation. Projected as Miami's No. 2 starter behind ace Sandy Alcantara, López spent a good chunk of the offseason training with Alcantara. They relied on each other for feedback since they couldn't communicate with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. during the lockout.

But López is coming off another injury-riddled season. After compiling a 3.03 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP through 19 starts entering the All-Star break, he missed nearly the entire second half with a right rotator cuff strain. (López also missed time in 2018-19 with shoulder trouble.) The 26-year-old returned in the '21 finale, going 1 2/3 innings to find some peace of mind.

"It helped me a tremendous amount," López said, "being able to go into the offseason thinking it was going to be a normal offseason, rather than ‘it's going to be a rehab offseason where I'm paying too much attention [to the injury].’ I knew I was healthy. I just needed some time to rest, and then ... everything was going to be normal after that."

Behind the dish
The Marlins acquired Gold Glove winner Jacob Stallings to be their primary catcher, but who will be his backup? Alex Jackson piggybacked him on Friday night, while prospects Nick Fortes and Payton Henry played on Saturday.

"[We'll] find out," manager Don Mattingly said. "That's why we'll see those two guys today. Try to have some sort of rotation. We know Jacob's our guy. It's like, 'Who's going to be the backup guy? What's best for our club?' And also, you make decisions on what's best for your club if Jacob goes down. Who do you want? So there's some thought process around that, but ... you're going to see Nick starting today. The next time those two are hooked up, Payton will start. Jax is going to be right now with Jacob. Put Lorenzo [Quintana] in there after the next time, and then Jax can DH. Keep their at-bats going, but just let them all play and see where we go."

The good thing is Jackson, Fortes and Henry all have Minor League options. Quintana is a non-roster invitee. Jackson and Henry joined the organization via 2021 Trade Deadline deals, while Fortes has been in the system since being drafted in '18. Last September, the Marlins split their reps behind the plate to mixed results.

"It's hard to find good catching, so I think it's a good problem that we have," Mattingly said. "We have some guys that we feel like are good back behind the plate. Find out what you get offensively."

Dad strength
Hours after becoming a father, Garrett Cooper started at first base and went 1-for-2 with two runs, an RBI and a walk. His wife, Erica, gave birth to their daughter, Reagan Olivia.

Center-field watch
• Jesús Sánchez started in center field.

• Peyton Burdick (Marlins No. 14 prospect) replaced Sánchez after his day was done.

Worth noting
• Outfielder Griffin Conine (Marlins No. 20 prospect) and first baseman Troy Johnston were brought over from Minor League camp.

• Right-handers Zach Pop and Shawn Armstrong threw live batting practice to utility player Willians Astudillo, center fielder Roman Quinn and infielder Isan Díaz on a back field. Pop was a Rule 5 Draft selection who spent all of last season in Miami's bullpen. Armstrong, Astudillo and Quinn are non-roster invitees.

Up next
The Marlins aren't scheduled for a Grapefruit League game on Sunday, so NL Rookie of the Year runner-up Trevor Rogers will pitch in a Triple-A game on a back field. Right-hander Elieser Hernandez will start on Monday against the Mets, while southpaw Jesús Luzardo will toe the rubber on Tuesday against the Cardinals. Both of those contests will be at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.