Reds reliever Marshall sees improvement

Even though it was more than a year ago, Sean Marshall still can remember how he felt the last time he was on a major league pitching mound in a game.

That would be June 10, 2014, at Great American Ball Park when he pitched the eighth inning of a 6-1 loss to the Dodgers. The veteran left-hander distinctly remembers getting Dee Gordon to fly out to left field.

“I knew that was the last time I would be comfortable pitching for a while,” Marshall said on Wednesday, before the Reds’ game against St. Louis.

The 6-foot-7 Marshall is finding that comfort level again. He took another step in his comeback by throwing off a bullpen mound for the first time since an unexpectedly pleasant surgical procedure in May.

“It was nice to get out there and get my cleats in some ground,” said Marshall, who turns 33 on Aug. 30. “After throwing on flat ground and doing long toss, it felt good to get out there on a slanted surface. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started throwing the ball, but I was very happy to get my feet on the ground.”

Marshall threw 22 pitches, all fastballs, though he admitted to mixing in some cut fastballs. Manager Bryan Price was impressed.

“The fact that he’s throwing off a mound again feels like a miracle, especially since we felt like the surgery might end his season or make it a challenge to be throwing again before spring training,” Price said. “For his first bullpen, it went really well. He’s still a ways away, but he’s going to go on the trip with us and throw regularly off the mound.”

Shoulder problems have limited or completely stymied Marshall since he went 5-5 with a 2.51 ERA in 73 games in 2012, his first Cincinnati season after being acquired from the Cubs for three players, including left-handed pitcher Travis Wood. He already had signed a three-year contract extension through this season in February 2012, but he’s made a combined 31 appearances over the past two seasons and none this year.

Marshall’s road back started when Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the Reds medical director, and Dr. David Altchek discovered during surgery in May that the capsule in his shoulder didn’t need to be repaired, as they originally thought. Instead, all they had to do was clean out some scar tissue.

Marshall will accompany the Reds on their upcoming 10-game, 10-day road trip out West and throw bullpens every third day. Price did not rule out Marshall pitching before the end of the season.

“A lot of things have to go the right way, but so far, there’s been no setbacks,” Price said. “He has to build up his arm strength.”

Marshall is happy to feel like part of the team again.

“(Coach) Billy Hatcher is always telling me, ‘You’re good luck. You should come with us,’” Marshall said. “Getting the pass to go on the road is great. I think the rest of the season is going to be a good time, for sure.”

Run saver: Billy Hamilton continues to struggle at the plate, but to his credit, he puts his problems behind him when he trades his batting gloves for his fielder's mitt.

Cincinnati’s center fielder did it again on Tuesday. After popping up a bunt and failing to advance a runner in the seventh inning of a 3-2 game, he went out in the eighth and used his speed to make up for misjudging a wicked line drive by leadoff batter Jason Heyward that probably would have been a leadoff triple if Hamilton hadn’t made a leaping catch.

Price, being a former pitcher and pitching coach, knows his pitchers appreciate it.

“I see Billy play center field every day and that’s where we have that benefit,” Price said. “We see all his great plays, the distances he covers in the outfield, his throwing arm, how quickly he gets to a base hit. So you are tainted as a manager when you see him. You get spoiled by it because you see the excellence every day.

“I have a hard time believing that anybody covers more ground and saves more from a defensive perspective. From what I evaluate with my own eyes he is as good as there is at covering center field.”

Change of scenery: Price normally hosts his daily media briefing in his office, but since he was outside throwing with Marshall and watching the pitcher's bullpen session, he decided to move it to the dugout. Somebody mentioned that many managers, after a third straight win over a heated rival such as St. Louis, might be too superstitious to change anything.

“No, I’m not that guy,” he said, smiling, “but I’m not going to tell you what underwear I’m wearing.”

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