‘Been waiting. Been ready.’ Mariners pitcher Justus Sheffield eager for regular season to start
The stadium was empty. The crowd noise was simulated through the speakers. The hitters he was facing wore the same powder blue uniform he did.
But, Justus Sheffield was still juiced up for Friday afternoon’s first intrasquad game at T-Mobile Park.
“I was pretty pumped up, pretty excited,” he said during a video call with reporters after his start. “Definitely had the nerves flowing. It felt like a normal start, to be honest, waking up this morning and kind of trying to get back in that starter routine.
“It was definitely weird at first, but once I got between those lines everything just kind of settled in, and it was baseball.”
The 24-year-old’s intensity was up from his first pitch. He tossed two scoreless innings — including retiring the first four batters he faced in order — allowing just one base hit to Tim Lopes, and struck out Braden Bishop swinging to end his outing.
Sheffield threw 37 pitches including the situational work that followed each inning. The arm strength was there, he said, and now he needs to “keep going and pushing forward.”
“Was happy with what he looked like,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said during his Saturday morning video call with reporters. “Thought his stuff was really good.”
Sheffield has been inked into Seattle’s starting rotation since the offseason. He pitched in eight games with the Mariners last season, including making seven starts following his August promotion.
He was sharp for Seattle this spring, allowing two runs across eight innings in two Cactus League starts before camp was suspended, and struck out 12 without walking a batter.
During the baseball shutdown, he returned home to Tennessee and worked out with his brother, Jordan, who is a pitcher in the Dodgers’ system.
“We were kind of able to just throw every day,” Sheffield said earlier in summer camp. “My old catcher from high school, he would come out and was able to catch us whenever we needed, so I had a pretty good setup back home.”
Sheffield said he also kept in touch with other Mariners starters as well as pitching coach Pete Woodworth to make sure his throwing program was on track.
“It was one of those things where we had a group message going around,” he said. “I would talk to Marco (Gonzales), Tai (Walker), (Justin Dunn), you know, and ask Woody about where we should be at.
“We tried to stay around the same length of throwing, but just kept in touch with each other. Most important was just throwing every day, keeping my arm strength up.”
Sheffield continued to work on his changeup and the two-seamer he debuted back in March, and is pleased with how his pitches are progressing.
“I felt like I picked up right where I left off,” he said. “I went home and hit the weights pretty hard, tried to build some strength in the time we were missing and threw bullpens week in and week out, and then was able to face some hitters later on.
“Just kept doing what I was doing in spring training and tried to build off that.”
With less than two weeks remaining before the Mariners open the season in Houston, Sheffield has been eager for the regular season to finally arrive.
“Anxious,” he said. “Super anxious. Been waiting. Been ready. I came to spring training ready and I came out here ready. I guess that’s the name of the game — just stay ready when they call your name.
“I’ll be ready when the three weeks (of camp) are over with and we get to go out and play the season.”
RODRIGUEZ ‘LOOKS GREAT’
Mariners No. 2 prospect Julio Rodriguez was seen on the field at T-Mobile Park for the first time Thursday morning after being cleared for camp.
He played catch with top prospect Jarred Kelenic briefly in the outfield, but was not a participant in the Mariners’ short organized workout.
Servais said Saturday Rodriguez did complete the full workout Friday morning with other members of the 60-man player pool who did not play in the first intrasquad game.
“He looks great,” Servais said. “Smiling, joking around. He actually got Kelenic to smile, so it’s great to see those guys connecting. They’re happy to hang out together again.”
Servais said Rodriguez had a “good round of BP,” but Rodriguez won’t likely play in an intrasquad game for a few more days.
VANCOUVER NATIVE STANDS OUT
Camas High School product Taylor Williams, one of eight relievers to pitch in the Mariners’ first intrasquad game Friday, was one of the standouts for Servais on the first day.
Williams, a 28-year-old right-hander, threw one modified inning, and retired four of the five batters he faced while allowing one walk.
The Mariners claimed Williams off waivers from the Brewers less than a month before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down spring training, but Williams remained in Arizona during the break, and worked more extensively with Seattle’s minor league coordinator of pitching strategy, Trent Blank.
“He made a few adjustments in how he’s using his pitches,” Servais said. “He was in Arizona the whole time working out down there, and then when we opened the facility in Arizona, he was able to get with Trent Blank down there. Trent tried to explain to him where his stuff may work more effectively in the strike zone.
“We saw that (Friday). He was a guy that lived down with the sinker. We got him to throw a few more balls up. I thought he threw the ball really well.”
SHORT HOPS
The Mariners will play their third intrasquad game Sunday with projected Opening Day starter Marco Gonzales scheduled to make his first outing. The game is scheduled to last four innings, while Monday’s game is scheduled for seven innings. … Mariners yet to be seen participating in workouts open to the media as of Friday included outfielder Mallex Smith, utility player Dylan Moore, catcher Joe Hudson and reliever Yoshihisa Hirano.
