Brad Penny looking forward to Miami homecoming

It’s been so long since Brad Penny made a home start for the Marlins that his memory of it is scant.

“I don’t even remember it, it’s been that long,” Penny said.

For the record, when Penny takes the mound Thursday at Marlins Park, it will be his first home start for them since July 28, 2004 -- two days before he was traded to the Dodgers.

That outing against the Phillies did not result in a decision.

But if he couples Saturday’s comeback victory in Cincinnati with another Thursday against the Diamondbacks, he’ll move ahead of A.J. Burnett and into fourth on the team’s all-time wins list with 50.

“It’s been a long time since I pitched in Miami and I’ve got a lot of memories pitching in Miami,” Penny said.

Penny likes what he’s seen of the new ballpark so far.

“It looks like it plays as big (as Sun Life Stadium),” he said. “It’s definitely a pitcher’s park.”
Penny, 36, who recorded his first major league win in three years Saturday against the Reds, said he doesn’t know how much longer his career will last even though he feels he’s “got a lot left.”

“It doesn’t get any easier, and that’s what I like about it,” Penny said. “I’m getting older, so it’s going to get harder and harder every year for me. I’m going to go out there and show I can compete, and when I feel like I can’t, I’m done.”
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Carter Capps is throwing in Jupiter and could be available to the Marlins bullpen in September if he continues to progress.

“He’s throwing bullpens and he’s been feeling great,” said manager Mike Redmond of Capps, who has been on the disabled list since late May with a right elbow sprain. “I think that’s (September) when we’re kind of anticipating him being ready to go. It might be a little bit before.”

Capps, whom the Marlins acquired from Seattle in their offseason trade with the Mariners for Logan Morrison, appeared in only nine games for the Marlins before going on the DL.

-- Redmond said left-handed reliever Dan Jennings, who is on the 7-day concussion list after being struck in the head with a line drive in Pitttsburgh, has been symptom-free for the past two days and has resumed throwing. His return date is uncertain.
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