Max Meyer will not pitch in games for the Marlins this spring. Mattingly explains why

Fans hoping to watch Max Meyer pitch will have to wait until the minor-league season.

Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Friday that Meyer, the No. 3 overall pick from the 2020 MLB Draft, will not play in spring training games. The same applies for the other three members of the team’s most recent draft class who are part of big-league camp: Kyle Nicolas, Zach McCambley and Jake Eder.

“You won’t see those guys in an ‘A’ game,” Mattingly said. “This is about them getting comfortable in big-league camp. Obviously we like those guys and we wanted them to experience this. But, you know, we don’t want Max coming over to a game and trying to throw 100. We want him to get ready to pitch this season, continue his development, and we think there’s a real risk with those young guys kind of trying to impress and doing too much too early. It’s a danger in camp and that’s something we’re gonna stay away from.”

Meyer is a unanimous top-50 prospect in baseball — ranked as high as No. 28 by MLB Pipeline and no lower than 48 by ESPN (The Athletic’s Keith Law has him No. 40 and Baseball America No. 44).

His fastball sits in the high-90s and touched 100 mph during his college career at the University of Minnesota. His slider was regarded as one of the best pitches by any player in last year’s draft cycle.

“Obviously you don’t pick a guy with your first pick — third pick in the country — that you don’t think is going to be electric,” Mattingly said of Meyer. “So he’s a guy with obviously good stuff with a number of pitches. It’s good to have him in camp.”

But camp is all he will focus on. He will throw bullpens and live batting practice sessions on the back fields but won’t see live action until the minor-league season starts in May.

When he toes the rubber for the first time, it will be his professional debut. Meyer spent all of the 2020 season at the Marlins’ alternate training site in Jupiter with the minor-league season canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Meyer said earlier in camp his focus was to refine his fastball grip and improve his changeup to be a quality fourth pitch to go along with his slider and curveball.

And he said he will be ready whenever it’s his time to pitch.

“I’m kind of that guy that’s just ‘It’s another day. It’s another game,’” Meyer said. “I’m always 100 percent whenever I’m on the mound and I don’t let big moments get the best of me. I’m just going to keep playing the game I played my whole life.”

Anderson joins spring home run club

Add third baseman Brian Anderson to the list of Marlins players hitting opposite-field home runs this spring training.

Anderson turned on a Jose Urquidy changeup in the second inning on Friday and sent it beyond the fence in right-center field at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium for a solo home run. The home run accounted for all of the scoring in Miami’s 1-0 win over the Astros.

“For me, that’s usually a good sign,” Anderson said. “I’m a taller guy, longer arms, so any time I get that ball out and over and get some extension on it, that’s usually whenever I’m going to do damage. That was a good sign for me today.”

Six Marlins players have hit home runs so far this spring. Four of those home runs — Anderson’s on Friday as well as long balls by Adam Duvall, Jazz Chisholm and JJ Bleday — have gone to the opposite field.

Neidert impresses again

Nick Neidert threw a pair of scoreless innings on Friday as the first pitcher to enter the game in relief of starter Trevor Rogers. Neidert has now thrown four scoreless innings over two spring appearances, giving up three hits and a walk while striking out four.

He got out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the fourth by getting Colin Barber to ground out to second base.

“I’m still crisping some stuff up,” Neidert said. “I think fastball command has been pretty good. The life on it’s been really good. Now it’s about dialing those secondary pitches.”

While Neidert has come in as a reliever his first two times this spring in a piggyback role, Mattingly said not to read too much into it. For now, while pitches are still stretching out, it’s a matter of making sure everyone is getting their innings.

“He’ll get his chance to start,” Mattingly said. “More than anything, we’re just trying to get these guys built up so we can get them all ready.”

Another shortened game

Friday’s game was shortened to seven innings with the Astros shorthanded on the pitching front. Eight of their pitchers were unavailable due to health and safety protocols.

Injury update

Relief pitcher Tommy Eveld has been diagnosed with right biceps nerve irritation and is day-to-day. The injury surfaced in Wednesday’s 8-5 win over the Washington Nationals.