Jason Marquis Aiming For October Return; Wade Miley Call-Up Rumored

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Jason Marquis broke his right fibula after getting hit by a ground ball Sunday during the D-backs game against the New York Mets. Marquis was off to a good start in the game after getting shelled in his first two starts since being traded from the Washington Nationals. 

According to Marquis after the game, the initial hit broken the bone but the pain wasn't so bad that he felt he could stay in and continue pitching. He faced four more batters before having the leave the game. One the final pitch to Josh Thole, Marquis said he felt something "pop" when he pushed off which the doctor told him, "pretty much completed the break."

"It is what it is. I'm going to do everything in my power to heal up as fast as I (can), listen to the training staff and hopefully be back to help this team in October," Marquis said. 

No official timeline has been set but manager Kirk Gibson set a preliminary target of four-to-six weeks which would put him back around early October.

Gibson seemed very pleased with the performance of Micah Owings and didn't seem inclined to pull him from the bull pen where he's been very successful (1.95 ERA in 27 innings as a reliever). The most recent rumor has the D-backs calling up Wade Miley from Triple-A to get the next start.

Here's much more on Miley.

Reports: Diamondbacks To Call Up LHP Wade Miley - AZ Snake Pit
Since joining Reno, Miley has posted a 3.64 ERA in eight starts, fanning 56 with just 16 walks in 54.1 innings of work.  That ERA figure is the second-best among pitchers who have started a game for the Aces this year, behind the 1.50 ERA that Josh Collmenter accumulated in his one and only Triple-A outing prior to his promotion to the major leagues.  

Miley has a wide arsenal, touted by BA as working with a fastball, slider, curveball, change-up, and cutter.  The curveball and cutter are more of show pitches, but the fastball has good zip and sink for a left-hander, coming in consistently at 92-93.  Miley's slider is widely-regarded as a plus pitch that he can miss bats with, while the change-up, also "flirts with being a plus pitch," according to BA's off-season write-up.  

One red flag that has been raised has been that there is some meltdown potential in the southpaw, as he has occasionally gotten rattled on the mound, losing his mound presence, composure, and mechanics.

Marquis is the sixth D-back to fracture a bone this season. Others include Matt Williams (foot), Zach Duke (hand), Geoff Blum (finger), Stephen Drew (ankle) and Xavier Nady (hand).

VIDEO: Jason Marquis & Josh Thole Go Tumbling

D-backs Pitcher Jason Marquis Suffers Leg Injury

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jason Marquis suffered a fractured right fibula in Sunday's game against the Mets.