Shane Marshall Overcomes Injuries to Lead Birds’ Bullpen
June 11, 2024 by Sam Weiderhaft “It’s been a blessing to finally get back on the field.” After being selected in the 14th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs, Shane Marshall had to wait to put the uniform on. He underwent Tommy John surgery in August
June 11, 2024 by Sam Weiderhaft
“It’s been a blessing to finally get back on the field.”
After being selected in the 14th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs, Shane Marshall had to wait to put the uniform on. He underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2022 and spent the entirety of 2023 at the Cubs’ complex in Arizona rehabbing.
“The number one step was to get my arm healthy,” Marshall said.
Not only was he trying to build himself back up, but he had to learn a whole new position. Marshall played at Georgia from 2019 to 2022 not on the mound, but behind the plate. He appeared in 95 games as the team’s catcher over four seasons and pitched just 1 2/3 innings. But when he threw, it was fast. And the Cubs noticed.
“The transition was pretty rough I’d say at the beginning,” Marshall said. “As a catcher, it’s more about getting the reps as a hitter. Now as a pitcher, you have so many weird things to worry about. You have to worry about your arm being healthy, how flexible your hips are, your hamstrings.”
Having played on both sides of the battery, Marshall has a much different point of view when he takes the mound with the knowledge he’s gained.
“It’s super helpful,” Marshall said. “There’s certain situations where me and the catcher butt heads where I see something that the catcher doesn’t see, but so far it’s been really helpful.”
His lack of pitching experience hasn’t slowed him down, as the 24-year-old has been one of the brightest spots on the Pelicans’ pitching staff. Through 17 relief outings, Marshall holds a 2.25 ERA with 25 strikeouts through 20 innings. He’s been used as the team’s primary closer, earning four saves in his first year of full-season baseball.
As this year has progressed, Marshall has spent time adding secondary pitches to go along with his mid-90s fastball. He’s continuing to learn a slider as well as his changeup after throwing primarily heaters in college.
Marshall has the typical closer energy, always getting fired up on the mound and never being afraid to show emotion.
“I’ve always got that fire in me,” Marshall said.
The right-hander is looking forward to getting through his first full season healthy and continuing to navigate through his outings to help the team win.