On January 3, the Marlins announced RHP Anthony Bender—among others—had signed a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. Just two months after that, Bender is making an impression in major league camp.
Entering Monday, the 26-year-old has appeared three times and he’s made the most out of those. In 3 1⁄3 innings, he has yet to allow any baserunners while striking out six hitters (16.2 K/9). One of those games was a 12-pitch save to secure a 1-0 win against the Astros on March 5.
Bender’s pitch mix consists of a sinker that has touched 98.