How Marlins’ A.J. Puk has adjusted to starting role. Plus a signing and injury updates

With each passing outing, A.J. Puk continues to pass the eye test as the Miami Marlins convert him from a high-leverage reliever to being a member of their starting rotation.

Puk, a 6-7 lefty, has made three starts so far this spring training and has not given up a run over 8 1/3 innings, allowing just six hits and four walks while striking out 15.

In his most recent outing on Saturday, Puk threw 64 pitches over 3 1/3 shutout innings and struck out six against the Washington Nationals. His fastball velocity remained in the mid-90s throughout the entire outing and his secondary pitches — the sweeper he has been throwing as a reliever plus a split-finger changeup and cutter he is adding this year — stayed sharp from start to finish.

While Puk has only pitched out of the bullpen in the big leagues, he was a starter in high school, college and the start of his professional baseball career, so he had a base understanding of how to adjust to a structured starter’s routine compared to being prepared for anything on any given day as a reliever.

For good measure, Puk has been watching how other Marlins starters — particularly Jesus Luzardo, Eury Perez, Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers — go about their business between starts to see what adjustments he can make to improve.

“I’m getting used to it again,” Puk said. “It’s almost like riding a bike again. In my head, I never really put myself away as just a bullpen guy even after all the years I was in the pen. I’ve had a pretty good routine and the other starters are helping me out.”

Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. said early in camp that Puk has the “plus weapons, velocity and stuff” that “supports putting him in the rotation.”

“I have no doubt from a stuff standpoint,” Stottlemyre said, “that he’s going to push himself toward [being] a front-end guy. I feel that.”

Two main tasks remain for Puk.

The first is health and innings count. Puk has never thrown more than 66 1/3 innings in the big leagues in a season and he has an injury history.

The second is learning how to face lineups multiple times in an outing as he continues to get stretched out. As a reliever, he generally only has to worry about facing a few batters in short spurts and the task is simple: Throw your best stuff and make them beat you. As a starter, there’s more game planning involved. He is figuring out how to best sequence his pitches and learning how to incorporate his new pitches — the cutter in particular — into counts that work to his advantage.

“I’m definitely trying to give them different looks as they come through,” Puk said. “Luckily I’ve got a pretty solid five-pitch mix right now so I’ve been able to just do different things to them the second time through and will just go from there.”

Marlins sign reliever to minor-league deal

The Marlins on Sunday signed right-handed reliever Mychal Givens to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training.

Givens, 33, has appeared in 425 career MLB games over nine seasons with the Baltimore Orioles (2015-2020, 2023), Colorado Rockies (2020-2021), Cincinnati Reds (2021), Chicago Cubs (2022) and New York Mets (2022). He has ample experience in high-leverage situations, with 85 holds and 31 saves in his career.

Over 461 2/3 innings, Givens has 539 career strikeouts and a .218 batting average against.

Injury updates

▪ First baseman prospect Troy Johnston played as designated hitter on Sunday after missing a little more than a week due to a rolled ankle.

▪ Left-handed pitcher prospect Josh Simpson has not thrown since Feb. 27 while dealing with a left elbow injury. Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said the team believes it is nerve related.

▪ Utility player Xavier Edwards is in a walking boot due to “a little bit of swelling,” Schumaker said, adding there is no structural damage.

Where things stand with Huascar Brazoban

Marlins right-handed reliever Huascar Brazoban still is not with the team as he is stuck in the Dominican Republic due to recurring visa issues.

Schumaker call it a “tough situation” and “awful.” Until Brazoban gets cleared, he is working out at the team’s complex on the island.

“We have video work from the complex,” Schumaker said. “We’ve watched a couple of innings, but it’s through video. We have our guys down there with [radar] guns and Trackman and all that stuff, and he’s facing hitters.”