MIAMI — It’s a familiar sight all across MLB and so it’s something the Miami Marlins try not to get too excited about.
A prospect comes to the Majors and, within the first few days of his arrival, he makes some magic. It happened this year with JJ Bleday and Charles LeBlanc, who both had multi-hit games in their second appearances for the Marlins. It happened, perhaps most memorably, in 2019 for Isan Diaz, who homered in his first game, while his parents were being interviewed on television.
Now, it’s happening for Jordan Groshans, who followed up a three-hit performance Wednesday by smashing his first home run Thursday to help Miami beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-3, in the finale of an eight-game homestand.
Since his call-up Tuesday, Groshans is 4 for 10 with a homer and two strikeouts, and providing South Florida with a glimmer of hope at the end of another lost season.
There’s reason to believe in Groshans — he is the organization’s No. 12 prospect, according to MLB.com’s rankings, and was a first-round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2018 MLB draft — even if it’s too far too soon for any of this to actually mean anything.
His goal now is to make sure he’s not just another one of those flashes in the pan.
Groshans, 22, made his debut Tuesday after an impressive month-plus run with Triple A Jacksonville. The Marlins landed the third baseman from the Blue Jays in exchange for relief pitchers Anthony Bass and Zach Pop in August, and he immediately took off, batting .301 with an .814 on-base-plus slugging percentage, seven doubles, two home runs, 10 RBIs, 14 runs, 19 walks and only 19 strikeouts in 31 games for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
After going 0 for 3 on Tuesday in his first game in Miami, Groshans caught fire. He ripped three singles Wednesday — two to center field and another pulled through the left side of the infield — and was happy, if not entirely satisfied. He said he wanted to do more damage at the plate and it only took him one more day to.
Groshans led off the bottom of the third inning — right after starting pitcher Pablo Lopez escaped the top of the third unscathed despite giving up a lead-off triple — and it meant a green light for the rookie. He swung and missed at a first pitch right over the middle, waited out three balls, and then turned when Phillies starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard left an inside sinker a bit too high.
Groshans cranked it 376 feet, just barely sneaking inside the left-field foul pole. The Marlins’ dugout erupted — shortstop Miguel Rojas shouted, “[Expletive] yeah!” loud enough for the Bally Sports Florida cameras to pick it up — and Jaxx Groshans, the infielder’s older brother and a Boston Red Sox prospect, ran through at least four sections of loanDepot park in excitement, navigating his way through the crowd of 7,877.
Miami went up 1-0 and never trailed Philadelphia to avoid the sweep at the end of the homestand.
Marlins bring back Jake Fishman
Jake Fishman is back with the Marlins after Miami placed fellow relief pitcher Tommy Nance on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a right groin strain.
The Marlins made room for Fishman, 27, on the 40-man roster by moving outfielder Jorge Soler to the 60-day IL. Soler has been out with a back injury since July.
This is Fishman’s third stint in Miami so far this year and he gave up a run on six hits and no walks in 4 1/3 innings in his previous two. After both, the Marlins designated the rookie for assignment and he passed through waivers unclaimed, despite a strong season with the Jumbo Shrimp.
In 56 innings for Jacksonville, the left-handed pitcher has a 2.25 ERA with 54 strikeouts and 20 walks.
Up next
Miami now hits the road for a quick three-game road trip, with one series against the Washington Nationals.
The Marlins and Nationals are locked into the bottom two spots in the National League East, and Miami has a nine-game cushion on Washington to avoid finishing in last place.
Pitcher Jesus Luzardo will take the mound for the Marlins in Game 1 on Friday at Nationals Park in Washington, facing Nationals starting pitcher Josiah Gray.
