Marlins' Steven Okert: Still battling groin tightness
Rotowire
Okert (groin) is unlikely to be ready for the beginning of the season, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
Okert began experiencing adductor tightness in his inner left thigh earlier this week and is not scheduled to pitch in the Marlins' final set of Grapefruit League games. "Bad timing obviously," the reliever said Friday. "There's never a good time to get hurt, but [especially] right at the end of camp. Just got to get healthy and come back so I can help the team as best I can."
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Marlins' Steven Okert: Dealing with adductor issue
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Okert was held out of action Wednesday in Marlins camp because of an adductor issue, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
It's something Okert has dealt with in the past and the Marlins didn't want to push him this close to Opening Day. It sounds like they feel he will be fine after a bit of rest and treatment. The 32-year-old right-hander projects to operate in a later-inning role for Miami this season.
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Marlins' Steven Okert: Healthy for spring camp
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Okert (triceps) has made three Grapefruit League appearances to date, covering three scoreless innings while striking out two and allowing two hits and one walk.
Okert looks to be back to full strength for spring training after he finished the 2022 season on the 15-day injured list with left triceps tightness. The 31-year-old reliever turned in a 2.98 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 63:26 K:BB in 51.1 innings a season ago and should factor into the Marlins' setup mix once again in 2023.
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Marlins' Steven Okert: Lands on injured list
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Okert was placed on the 15-day injured list with left triceps tightness Thursday, retroactive to Sept. 26, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
Okert hasn't pitched since giving up three runs (two earned) while failing to record an out against the Cubs on Sept. 21. He's apparently dealing with a triceps injury and will be forced to miss the final week of the season, even though his placement on the injured list was backdated. The southpaw was charged with losses in three of his final four appearances of the season but had a solid campaign overall, picking up 19 holds while posting a 2.98 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 51.1 innings over 60 appearances.
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Marlins' Steven Okert: Collects 14th hold
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Okert gave up a hit and struck out three over 1.1 scoreless innings Thursday to record his 14th hold of the season in a win over the Phillies.
The 31-year-old had a rough patch in late July and early August, giving up runs in three straight appearances, but he appears to have righted the ship. Okert has been the Marlins' top setup man from the left side since Tanner Scott took over the closer role, and he's provided some solid fantasy value with five wins, a 2.77 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP and a career-high 31.3 percent strikeout rate through 39 innings on the year in addition to his career high in holds.
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Marlins' Steven Okert: Escapes with 12th hold
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Okert gave up a run on a hit, two walks and a hit-by-pitch while striking out one in the eighth inning Friday to record his 12th hold of the season in a win over the Mets.
Brought in to face New York's 2-3-4 hitters in a 4-1 game, Okert made things a little too interesting by serving up a solo shot to Francisco Lindor before loading the bases with two outs. Fortunately, the southpaw got Eduardo Escobar to fly out to end the rally. Okert has given up runs in back-to-back appearances, but with Tanner Scott still holding down the closer role, Okert's spot as the Marlins' top left-handed setup man seems fairly secure. Since the beginning of June, he sports a 2.70 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 14:6 K:BB through 13.1 innings with three wins and six holds.
Okert walked one and struck out one in a scoreless eighth inning Thursday to record his seventh hold of the season in a win over the Giants.
The veteran came into the season viewed as arguably the third lefty in the Marlins' bullpen, but Okert now has more than twice as many holds as Tanner Scott and Richard Bleier combined. His 2.30 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 23:9 K:BB through 15.2 innings are equally impressive, and Okert could begin to see situational save chances given the volatility of Miami's other high-leverage options so far this season.
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Marlins' Steven Okert: Shines in relief win
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Okert (1-0) picked up the win in Saturday's 2-1 victory over the Giants, striking out all four batters he faced.
Facing the team that drafted him back in 2012, Okert took over from Pablo Lopez to begin the sixth inning and put together an outstanding first appearance of the season, getting rewarded with a win when Jesus Sanchez brought home the winning run in the top of the seventh. Okert is coming off his best MLB season in 2021, but his low 90s fastball-slider combination plays best in a situational or middle-relief role, so the 30-year-old southpaw isn't likely to see much high-leverage work.
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Marlins' Steven Okert: Sloppy in ninth inning
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Okert (0-1) took the loss Wednesday versus Baltimore. He allowed a run on four walks in one-third of an inning.
The southpaw allowed a leadoff walk to Cedric Mullins before allowing the speedy outfielder to take second base with a wild pitch. Austin Hays sacrificed to move Mullins to third, and Okert responded with intentional walks to Trey Mancini and Ryan Mountcastle to set up a double-play opportunity. It didn't work, as Okert then gave up a walkoff walk to Ryan McKenna. The loss was the 30-year-old's first of the season in 11 appearances. He owns a reasonable 2.38 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 11:5 K:BB across 11.1 innings this year.
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Marlins' Steven Okert: Called up by Marlins
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The Marlins recalled Okert from Triple-A Jacksonville on Tuesday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
The lefty reliever has impressed at Triple-A this season, pitching to a 1.80 ERA in 20 innings while striking out 29 batters and walking just one while allowing just a single homer. He last appeared in the majors in 2018, when he pitched in seven games for the Giants and posted a 1.23 ERA.
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Marlins' Steven Okert: Signs with Marlins
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Okert signed a minor-league deal with the Marlins on Friday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports. The deal does not include an invitation to spring training.
The 29-year-old southpaw hasn't pitched in the majors since 2018 and has a career 4.28 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 48.1 innings, all of which came with the Giants. Okert will provide the Marlins with some organizational bullpen depth.
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Giants' Steven Okert: Designated for assignment
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Okert was designated for assignment by the Giants on Saturday, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Okert seemed to have a good shot at a bullpen role but will instead be cast off the 40-man roster entirely. As a left-hander with a respectable enough 4.28 ERA in 48.1 career big-league innings, there's a decent chance he won't pass through waivers unclaimed.
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Giants' Steven Okert: Heads to San Francisco
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The Giants recalled Okert from Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic Bay Area reports.
With Sacramento's season coming to an end Monday, the Giants will bring Okert aboard along with fellow Triple-A hurlers Pierce Johnson and Casey Kelly to provide some bullpen depth throughout September. Okert has pitched exclusively at the Triple-A level this season, but made 44 appearances with the Giants in 2017 and posted a 5.67 ERA and 1.30 WHIP across 27 innings.
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Giants' Steven Okert: Heads back to minors
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Okert was optioned back to Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Okert was up for just one day and did not make an appearance. He was sent down so that the Giants could call up Andrew Suarez to make a start, filling in for the injured Johnny Cueto (ankle). Okert is clearly near the top of the list of minor-league relievers that the Giants will call on in an emergency, but with a 4.83 ERA in 41 career big-league innings, he's unlikely to be much of a fantasy asset in the time he spends in the majors.
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Giants' Steven Okert: Called up by Giants
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Okert was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday, Chris Haft of MLB.com reports.
The lefty will be available out of the bullpen Tuesday as he takes the roster spot of Johnny Cueto, who was placed on the DL with an ankle sprain. Okert started the year down at Triple-A and has made two appearances at Sacramento, notching six strikeouts over 2.1 scoreless innings. It could be a short stint for him, however, as the Giants need to add a starter to take Cueto's place in the rotation on Wednesday.
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Giants' Steven Okert: Possible call-up Tuesday
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Okert is in the Giants' clubhouse and will be available out of the bullpen Tuesday if Johnny Cueto (ankle) is placed on the 10-day disabled list, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "Okert is here if we make a move today," said manager Bruce Bochy.
Cueto is battling an ankle injury that will likely preclude him from starting Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks. With that, Okert is available as an extra arm out of the bullpen Tuesday should the Giants opt to place Cueto on the disabled list. That said, it'd likely be a short stay for Okert considering that the Giants would need to make another roster move to activate a starter for Wednesday. There will be more clarity on Okert's status once the Giants make a decision on Cueto.
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Giants' Steven Okert: Sent to Triple-A Sacramento
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Okert was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Okert had a disappointing 2017 season. The southpaw posted a 5.67 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over 44 games (27 innings) and put together a poor 22:11 K:BB. Although he's shown improvement this spring, giving up just one run over 4.2 innings, he'll return to Triple-A Sacramento.
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Giants' Steven Okert: Making case for bullpen
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Okert allowed one walk while striking out two over a scoreless inning in Thursday's spring win over Seattle.
Okert is on the outside looking in when it comes to the Giants' projected Opening Day bullpen. The southpaw has looked sharp in his first four spring appearances, but he will have to build off this momentum to overtake fellow lefty Josh Osich to earn one of the club's final bullpen jobs.
