Gregory Santos leaves Mariners teammates in awe after live BP session

MIAMI — Gregory Santos had just fired a nasty slider that Tyler Locklear managed to foul off into the net of the batting cage.

Santos looked toward the coaches for a fresh baseball to continue his live batting practice session. Just as one was fired to him, bullpen catcher Fleming Baez corralled the foul ball in the cage and also tossed it toward Santos.

The big right-hander caught the ball from the coaches and turned his back to the plate just in time for the throw from Baez to hit him squarely in the left cheek of his rear end. Stunned by what happened, Santos walked off the mound, grabbed where the ball hit and looked a little peeved.

Standing on the ledge behind the batting cage, manager Scott Servais took off his hat and raised his hands in disbelief and frustration.

This couldn’t be happening. How could the baseball gods be so cruel?

The live batting practice session, which was an important step toward finally getting Santos back from the injured list, had been going so well.

But after a few seconds, perhaps adding to the drama, Santos turned around and smiled at the coaches and his teammates gathered around the cage.

It made Luis Castillo, who was standing next to Servais, break into laughter, particularly after his manager’s reaction.

Santos got back on the mound and resumed firing nasty pitches to Locklear, including a slider for a swinging strike three.

After facing Ryan Bliss, then Locklear and then Bliss again, Santos’ live BP was done. He threw approximately 10 pitches at maximum effort.

“It was really good,” Santos said through interpreter Freddy Llanos. “Everything felt great. There was no discomfort, and I was attacking the zone. It just felt good.”

But did it feel good when he got hit with the ball.

“It’s OK,” he said with a smile. “That stuff happens.”

The stuff on Santos’ pitches also happened, leaving teammates in awe. After watching the live BP, Bryan Woo looked at Bryce Miller, shook his head and simply said, “Wow.”

Bliss had the batter’s box view of it. He was just happy that Santos didn’t break his bat in the session.

“I can’t wait for him to be back on the team,” Bliss said. “It’s just bowling-ball sinkers. You don’t really see them, and they feel like splitters. And that slider is wipeout. It’s pretty impressive what he can do with the ball.”

Dripping with sweat, Santos was elated to face hitters again. He missed the rush of competing.

“Even before the hitter steps into the box, as soon as I can see them, my adrenaline starts pumping,” Santos said.

While the details haven’t been finalized, Santos said the schedule looks like a bullpen session when the team travels to Tampa, followed by another live batting practice session where he would increase his pitch total. After that, he would start a rehab assignment and make a handful of outings.

After starting the season on the injured list due to a lat strain suffered in spring training and suffering setbacks in his recovery, Santos just wants to contribute to a bullpen that is dire need of his presence and production.

“I don’t even think I can describe it in words,” he said. “I think I’m just ready to be part of this team and just being able to do what I can to help this team. I just want to be a part of it.”

Note

The Marlins starting rotation, which had already been decimated by injuries, continued to struggle to find healthy arms. Saturday’s scheduled starter Jesus Luzardo was scratched and placed on the 15-day injured list with a stress fracture in his back. Miami started right-hander Shaun Anderson in his place.

Before Saturday’s game, Marlins manager Skip Schumacher announced that lefty Braxton Garrett, the scheduled starter for Sunday’s series finale, was also being scratched due to elbow discomfort. In his place will be right-hander Kyle Tyler.