Rogers K's 4 in return: 'He's good to go'

MIAMI – His start against the Yankees on Saturday night certainly wasn't one of Trevor Rogers' best of the season. That doesn't mean it didn't signify a big step for the Marlins left-hander.

In his return from the injured list with a lower back muscle spasm, Rogers was chased in the fourth inning after 74 pitches in the Marlins’ 4-2 loss at loanDepot park. Miami has dropped three in a row, including the first two in the weekend series against New York.

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"It was good to see him out there first of all, out there doing what he does,” acting manager James Rowson said. “And he's healthy. He got through that start healthy. He's good to go. So that's the No. 1 positive you can take from that.”

The 23-year-old Rogers struck out the first two batters in a perfect first inning but then encountered trouble in the second. After hitting Anthony Rizzo with a pitch up and in, Rogers surrendered a pair of runs on three straight knocks. But Rogers limited the damage by recording three consecutive outs, including two via K.

In the third inning, Rogers worked out of a two-out, bases-loaded jam. In the fourth, with a pair of runners on base with two outs, Rowson turned to reliever David Hess, who struck out Aaron Judge to keep the score 2-0 in favor of the Yankees.

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"There were definitely some moments in the game where I definitely felt like I hadn't pitched in 10 days," said Rogers, who last started on July 20 in Washington. "Just a little rusty. That first inning, I kind of felt like my old self, earlier in the year -- kind of got back on top of the baseball, really found a good slot.

“That was really something to build on and something I'm really looking forward to improving as I move forward."

While Rogers' final line wasn’t great -- 3 2/3 innings, five hits, two runs, three walks and four strikeouts -- most encouraging was the fact he came out of the start healthy and with an average fastball velocity that was in line with his season mark (94.5 mph).

Rogers, who is 6-foot-5 and 217 pounds, said that his frame always puts a little bit of pressure on his lower back -- but never to the point of it being painful. He first felt it beginning to tighten up while throwing a bullpen on July 23 in preparation for a start last Sunday.

Rogers told the training and coaching staff so it wouldn't get worse.

Instead of starting the series finale against the Padres, Rogers landed on the IL as a precautionary move. Between then and Saturday, he followed a plan that included stretches to build up his lower back and keep his hips aligned. He continued recovering in hot and cold tubs. When Rogers threw a bullpen session on Thursday, he reported no issues and was cleared to return when the 10 days were up.

"Tonight was probably the best it's felt all year," Rogers said. "So as long as we can keep that plan in place, I think I'll be in a good spot."

How the Marlins monitor their other young starters like Rogers and manage their workload will be crucial down the home stretch, though reinforcements are on the way.

Rogers is at 110 frames for the season. A month ago, pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. said the lefty’s limit will be 175. Rogers' single-season career high is 136 1/3 between two levels of the Minors in 2019.

Elieser Hernandez (right quad strain) began a rehab assignment on Saturday night at Double-A Pensacola, and Cody Poteet (right knee sprain) will do the same on Tuesday for Triple-A Jacksonville. During the Bally Sports Florida game broadcast, general manager Kim Ng said she expects Hernandez back in two weeks and Pablo López (right rotator cuff strain) by the end of August.

"Right now, all indications are everything is all good," Rowson said of Rogers. "He feels good, so we know what he can do. We're ready to now just start getting those starts back, get him out there more regularly, and he'll keep doing what he's been doing all year long."