Marksberry Expanding His Arsenal

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.—Matt Marksberry learned the definition of “euphoria” last July. The lefthander from Campbell was headed to the gym on an off day when Triple-A Gwinnett manager Brian Snitker called.

With the trade deadline looming, Marksberry thought he may be packing his bags. As it turned out, he was correct, only he was headed to Philadelphia to pitch for the Braves at the game’s top level.

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“I didn’t expect it,” said Marksberry, 25. “In fact, I was shocked. I was having a pretty good season, but I thought I was going to spend the rest of the year in Triple-A, so they could feel me out down there.”

Marksberry, a 15th-round pick in 2013, had opened the season at high Class A Carolina before a late-June promotion to Gwinnett. He spent all of August and September in Atlanta, appearing in 31 games as a left-on-left reliever.

He allowed a .139 average and zero home runs to same-side batters all season.

“I was more focused on throwing strikes than anything,” Marksberry said of his big league stint. “I wasn’t rearing back and throwing . . . I was throwing 91-93 (mph). After a couple of weeks, I started to feel comfortable, and that’s when I began hitting 94 and 95.”

Mixing his four-seam fastball with a hard slider, Marksberry improved as he gained experience. He allowed only one earned run over his last 13 appearances.

Marksberry spent much of the offseason as well as spring training working on his changeup, which he feels can become a weapon against righthanders, who lit him up for a .361 average in the majors.

The Braves want Marksberry to gain additional seasoning at Double-A Mississippi at the outset of 2016.

“I’m comfortable with whatever role the Braves want me to fill,” Marksberry said, “but I know nothing is guaranteed and that I’m going to have to continue to battle to earn a job in the big leagues.”

WIGWAM WISPS

• Rule 5 lefthander Evan Rutckyj struggled early in big league camp with the consistency of his curveball, and the Braves returned him to the Yankees in mid-March.

• Converted third baseman Hector Olivera said he felt more comfortable in camp this year than he did during his big league debut last September. The 31-year-old projects as Atlanta’s regular left fielder.