Michael Mariot has been in the majors in three separate seasons but has not been there since 2016 when he pitched in 25 games out of the bullpen for the Phillies. Overall, his time in the majors has not gone well with him posting a 5.98 ERA in 44 relief games. Some of the numbers – 45 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings – do not look too bad, but the success just has not been there.

The right-hander opened his career in the Royals organization as a starter but moved to the bullpen starting in 2012 when he first reached Triple-A. At that point, he was pigeonholed into a role as a reliever until 2019 when he pitched in independent ball with the Sugar Land Skeeters and then with two different teams in the Mexican League and was back in the starting rotation. Eventually, he made his way back to affiliated ball with the Cincinnati Reds last season, pitching at Triple-A Louisville and is now in his second stint in the Phillies organization.

“When I went to independent ball, I wanted to get more innings and they wanted me to be a starter, so it was a good fit,” remembered Mariot. “I have always liked having a routine and knowing when I was going to pitch. I always felt a little bit of anxiety as a reliever because you do not know if you are going to pitch that day or when and it was difficult for me because there was never a routine that worked.

“Also, as a reliever, I was always trying to strike guys out and my walk rates went up because of that. As a starter, I never worried about striking guys out and was all right with guys making contact. I don’t worry now about being able to overpower guys, I just make good pitches in the zone and have my tempo.”

In his latest start with the IronPigs, Mariot was his typical self on the mound. He opened the game by getting four straight groundouts to short and put guys down primarily after they made just weak contact. Through the first three innings, his only blemish was a walk in the second inning. He got into some trouble in the fourth but an appeal play at second base turned into an out when it was ruled that Cavan Biggio missed the base as he rounded the bag and headed for third. Mariot then got a weak fly ball to center and a grounder to third to get out of the jam.

After a slow start – a 5.66 ERA in April – Mariot has put together two strong outings this month. He has combined to throw 13 innings in those two games, allowing just two earned runs on nine hits, walking just three batters. With the starts against Syracuse and Buffalo, Mariot had dropped his season ERA to 4.01 with Lehigh Valley.

“I’m throwing everything now; four-seamer, curveball, sinker, changeup, slider, just throwing the kitchen sink right now. Just being able to throw each one of those for a strike at least once to put it in the hitter’s head that I have all of that is good. Just being able to throw my curveball for strikes the last couple of outings has definitely helped,” said Mariot of his recent success.

Having been around for a while, Mariot has some definite thoughts on how the game has changed and is especially wary of the new pitch clock rules. One suggestion he gives is that baseball must return the rule to stopping the clock once the pitcher comes set rather than when they start their delivery.

“I don’t like it,” said Mariot of the new rule. “They gave us a questionnaire to fill out about the rules and one of the things that I said was that it seems like whoever is making these rules doesn’t care about the players. There have been a couple of times this season where I have been called for a ball four and once, it was a pretty crucial situation. In situations like that, you have to be able to take a deep breath and collect yourself and with the clock, you can’t do that. It is really frustrating because there are definitely times when you need to calm yourself down and take a little more time and then boom, you’re at zero and it really takes you out of the game a little.”

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK ... Reading’s Jhailyn Ortiz might start wondering what the Phillies are thinking. The 23-year-old was named the Eastern League Player of the Week for his performance last week when he hit .481/.875/1.356 with three home runs, 10 RBI and eight runs scored in six games. On the season, Ortiz is batting .266 with eight home runs, 24 runs and 21 RBI in 31 games with the Fightins. Clearwater infielder Hao Yu Lee (4-13-.455/.556/1.091) was named the Florida State League Player of the Week as well. Lee is batting .328 with five home runs and 30 RBIs in 31 games with the Threshers.

RETURN OF THE KING-ERY ... Scott Kingery, who underwent season ending shoulder surgery last June, had been rehabbing in extended spring training in Clearwater, Florida. Recently, the former Phillie started playing in games and on Tuesday he was promoted to Lehigh Valley.

WHERE ARE WE? ... Lehigh Valley (21-17) is currently third place in the International League East, three games behind first place Rochester (24-14). Buffalo is second at 21-16, two-and-a-half games behind the Red Wings. The IronPigs are in Rochester for six games this week before returning home for a six-game homestand with Worcester (17-21).