Volstad and Miller Mean Nothing This Year

In September, Major League Baseball (MLB) teams expand their 25-man roster to a 40-man roster by calling up guys from their farm system. The Marlins called up Cameron Maybin, Rick VandenHurk, Andrew Miller and Chris Volstad.

Maybin earns his playing time because of his work in the minors, not to mention Jeremy Hermida offered nothing as a hitter. VandenHurk enters the rotation since the Marlins have an opening for that fourth starter role.

Miller and Volstad should not expect to pitch much unless the opposing team lights up the current Marlins starters to the point the game is over. Mopup's role fits well for those two starters, who offered nothing to the Marlins all season long.

In a perfect world, Miller and Volstad would be pitching in New Orleans for the remaining few weeks of the season, but those two are the best pitchers available for the team to call up while other starters in New Orleans are not ready to contribute.

That does not help because those two need to be starting every fifth day instead of hoping the team calls them up to get ready to warm up in the bullpen of a blowout game.

Fredi Gonzalez is not inserting those two in the starting rotation or in middle relief for the rest of the way. He does not trust them after seeing them fail time after time this season.

They have no one to blame but themselves for their predicament.

Volstad failed to build off a great season from last year. He served up home runs every time he started for the team.

He struggled to go deep in games to the point he would be pulled in the fourth inning on a consistent basis. Brian Sanches knew he was going to pitch on the days Volstad was pitching so he was prepared to be called upon.

Gonzalez showed his frustration in Volstad's last start to the point the Marlins sent the struggling starter to the minors after the game.

It's hard to believe he improved after a stint in the minors.

Miller showed he is not ready to pitch in the majors just yet. His fastball had nothing, and his breaking ball could not dance through the mitts.

In other words, teams feasted on Miller by hitting all of his pitches.

Miller demonstrated no improvement from his time in New Orleans. What does it say about him that the Marlins did not bother calling him up when Volstad and several other fourth and fifth starters failed to do their job?

If they did not call him up when they needed to, why should he expect to pitch in any meaningful games?

Volstad and Miller will have to earn their spots in the rotation in next year's spring training after their performance this year.

Those two shouldn't get their hopes of making an impression in the next few weeks.