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San Diego Padres starting pitcher Jason Marquis had a strong Spring Training debut Thursday afternoon against the Kansas City Royals.
The 13-year veteran allowed just one hit and recorded one strikeout in two innings of work. Unfortunately, the Padres went on to lose 5-4 to the Royals. However, it was exciting to see Marquis return to the mound after his 2012 season came to a screeching halt when he broke his wrist on Aug. 21 on a line-drive hit.
The Padres expect big things from the 34-year-old this season as they hope they can rejuvenate the shaky starting rotation from a year ago. The Padres signed Marquis to a minor-league contract on May 29, 2012 after the Minnesota Twins released him due to poor performance. He posted a 2-4 record and a dismal 8.47 earned run average in seven starts. San Diego decided to take a chance on him because they felt they needed some veteran leadership among the starters. He started one game in the minors for the Padres and then made his Major League debut with the team on June 7.
Marquis finished his season in San Diego with a 6-7 record, 4.04 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 15 starts. He also went 9-for-12 at the plate with three doubles and one RBI. It should be noted that he is a .202 career hitter with 605 at-bats and is one of the more well-respected pitchers who can also swing a bat.
The right-hander, who bats lefty, is projected to be the No. 3 starter in San Diego’s rotation this season. He has stated that he is trying to add changeups to his repertoire of pitches to try to get a difference in velocity to keep opposing hitters off guard. Marquis has been seeking advice from the changeup king himself, Trevor Hoffman, on how to improve his pitches.
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