Carlsbad baseball alum Trevor Rogers shines in MLB debut with Miami Marlins

Carlsbad's Trevor Rogers didn't waste any time tossing a gem in his Major League Baseball debut with the Miami Marlins on Tuesday.

Starting the second game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets, Rogers, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, struck out six batters in four scoreless innings of work, helping Miami secure a 3-0 victory at Citi Field in Queens, New York.

Rogers did not get credit for the win because Miami and New York were still tied at 0-0 when his night ended.

Miami’s Josh A. Smith was credited for the win, but that didn’t diminish Rogers’ debut.

Rogers ran into trouble in the second and fourth innings, loading up the bases in the second inning and getting two runners aboard in the fourth innings.

Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre made trips to the mound in both innings. After a quick chat, Rogers regrouped each time and shut down the Mets.

"He told me to just calm down, make pitches and go after them," Rogers said of his second inning mound visit. "I was nibbling a couple of times throughout the game, and he came out to reiterate to just keep attacking. I was being too perfect, and he told me my fastball was playing well tonight and I should just go after them.

"The second visit he was laying into me a little bit. He said I was playing too defensively. My fastball was moving well up (in the zone), and they don't have a shot at it. He told me to stick with the fastball, not get too filthy and just attack them."

Rogers didn't know he would be making the trip to New York until Sunday, and he didn't have too much time to overthink or worry about another possible game.

He knew he had to go and perform just like he's done all his life. 

"The last 48 hours have been a whirlwind," Rogers said. "Nothing says 'Welcome to the Big Leagues' like coming to New York City and staying in downtown Manhattan where all the skyscrapers are. That Mets lineup is loaded and for me to go out and have success against them is pretty big."

Matthew Asher covers sports for the Carlsbad Current-Argus. He can be reached at 575-628-5524, masher@currentargus.com or @Caveman_Masher on Twitter.

Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e