What you need to know as Miami Marlins start playing spring training games on Saturday

After nearly two weeks of practices on back fields and internal competition, the Miami Marlins are finally set to begin spring training games.

Miami’s 29-game Grapefruit League slate begins Saturday with a 6:10 p.m. game against the New York Mets at Port St. Lucie’s Clover Park.

“As much as they want to do popup priority and bunt defense again, I think they’re pretty excited to get this thing going,” first-year Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “A lot of guys have been here for a while. ... The competition part starts to come out with the live [batting practice sessions] that are going on and as much as it’s a good time facing your buddy, they want to see another uniform.”

Schumaker and Co. will also now have the chance to start fully evaluating the players they have as they try to assemble their 26-man roster for Opening Day on March 30 against the Mets. Schumaker has said multiple times during camp that he doesn’t fall in love or fall out of love with any certain player based on how they perform in spring games, but the team will have to make decisions on a few roster spots by the time camp breaks.

Among those decisions: Whether the team uses a five- or six-man rotation and how that impacts their decisions to finalize the bullpen; finalizing their outfield options beyond Jazz Chisholm Jr., Avisail Garcia and Jorge Soler; and which infielder the team goes with for their final bench spot.

Here are a few things to know.

▪ How often will regulars play early? As is usually the case during the early portion of spring training games, the team will stagger players into games. Schumaker said the team’s expected starting lineup — including Jazz Chisholm Jr. in center field and newcomers Luis Arraez (second base) and Jean Segura (third base) — are slated to play on Sunday and Tuesday. The starting lineup will most likely get two at-bats apiece before the reserves take over.

As for pitching, the starters will keep their once-every-five-days plan in place, with Schumaker and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. trying to get the rotation lined up for the regular season. Braxton Garrett, competing for one of those rotation spots, is scheduled to pitch two innings Saturday against the Mets.

Top pitching prospects Eury Perez and Dax Fulton are also expected to appear in games this spring. Several of the team’s top position-player prospects — including infielders Jacob Berry, Jacob Amaya, Xavier Edwards, Jordan Groshans, Troy Johnston and Nasim Nunez — will play as well.

▪ Can the games be seen on television or heard on radio? Every game will be available on radio either on the team website or WINZ-940 AM. Seven games will be televised on either Bally Sports Florida or Bally Sports Sun (a full schedule is at the end of the article).

▪ How does the World Baseball Classic impact the Marlins? The Marlins have six players in big-league camp who are participating in the World Baseball Classic: Pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Johnny Cueto plus Segura for the Dominican Republic as well as pitchers Jesus Luzardo and Enmanuel De Jesus along with Arraez for Venezuela. The tournament takes place March 11-21, with all six players playing all of their games during the tournament at Miami’s loanDepot park.

While those half dozen players are away, the Marlins will allow prospects to get more playing time than usually allotted.

On the World Baseball Classic front, the Marlins will also face Team Israel — one of the five teams playing in Miami for the pool-play portion of the tournament — on March 8 in Jupiter.

The Miami Marlins’ spring training schedule

Saturday: @ New York Mets (Port St. Lucie), 6:10 p.m., Radio via MLB.com

Sunday: vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Jupiter), 1:10 p.m., TV via Bally Sports Florida, Radio via 940 AM

Monday: @ Houston Astros (West Palm Beach), 1:05 p.m., Radio via 940 AM

Tuesday: vs. Boston Red Sox (Jupiter), 6:40 p.m., TV via MLB Network (out-of-market only)

Wednesday: vs. New York Mets (Jupiter), 1:10 p.m., Radio via 940 AM

Thursday: @ Washington Nationals (West Palm Beach), 1:05 p.m., Radio via MLB.com

Friday: @ St. Louis Cardinals (Jupiter), 1:05 p.m., Radio via 940 AM

March 4: vs. New York Mets (Jupiter), 1:10p.m., TV via Bally Sports Florida, Radio via 940 AM

March 5: @ Boston Red Sox (Fort Myers), 1:05 p.m., Radio via 940 AM

March 6: @ Tampa Bay Rays (St. Petersburg), 1:05 p.m., TV via Bally Sports Sun, Radio via 940 AM

March 7: vs. Washington Nationals (Jupiter), 1:10 p.m., Radio via 940 AM

March 8: vs. Team Israel (Jupiter), 6:40 p.m., TV via MLB.com, Radio via MLB.com

March 9: OFF

March 10: @ Washington Nationals (West Palm Beach), 6:05 p.m., Radio via MLB.com

March 11: vs. Tampa Bay Rays (Jupiter), 3:10 p.m., Radio via MLB.com

March 12: @ Houston Astros (West Palm Beach), 1:05 p.m., Radio via MLB.com

March 13: vs. New York Mets (Jupiter), 1:10 p.m., Radio via 940 AM

March 14: vs. Houston Astros (Jupiter), 1:10 p.m., Radio via 940 AM

March 15: vs. Washington Nationals (Jupiter), 1:10 p.m., Radio via 940 AM

March 16: OFF

March 17: Split Squad — vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Jupiter), 1:10 p.m., TV via Bally Sports Florida, Radio via 940 AM; AND @ New York Mets (Port St. Lucie), 6:10 p.m.

March 18: @ Washington Nationals (West Palm Beach), 1:05 p.m., Radio via MLB.com

March 19: vs. Houston Astros (Jupiter), 1:10 p.m., TV via Bally Sports Florida, Radio via 940 AM

March 20: @ St. Louis Cardinals (Jupiter), 1:05 p.m., Radio via 940 AM

March 21: @ Houston Astros (West Palm Beach), 1:05 p.m., Radio via MLB.com

March 22: vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Jupiter), 1:10 p.m., TV via Bally Sports Florida, Radio via 940 AM

March 23: OFF

March 24: vs. Houston Astros (Jupiter), 6:40 p.m., TV via Bally Sports Florida, Radio via 940 AM

March 25: @ St. Louis Cardinals (Jupiter), 1:05 p.m., Radio via 940 AM

March 26: Split squad — vs. Washington Nationals, Jupiter, 1:10 p.m., Radio via MLB.com; AND @ New York Mets (Port St. Lucie), 4:10 p.m.