Fish Bytes

Solano's first hit conjures up memories for Guillen

Donovan Solano celebrated his first hit in his first major league at-bat Tuesday night with an array of phone calls from back home in his native Colombia.

The 24-year old utility infielder -- just the 12th Colombian to make it to the majors -- kept the ball he hit and the lineup card from Tuesday's game, which he plans on getting everyone on the Marlins roster to autograph.

"Everybody was happy. Everybody was proud of me," said Solano, who led the team in hitting during spring training but was surprisingly sent down to Triple A. "I just had a lot of good feelings in my body, good thoughts when I reached first."

Manager Ozzie Guillen, who said everyone in the Marlins dugout stood and cheered Solano after his hit, recalled his first hit Wednesday -- a bunt single in the ninth inning of a come-from-behind win over the Brewers on April 9, 1985 in Milwaukee. 

What did Guillen do with his game ball? He donated it to a church in his native Venezuela. 

"I flew to Margarita and gave it to the priest," Guillen said. "He was laughing because he had gold, medals, diamonds, other stuff, and I gave him a little ball. But it meant a lot to me and my family."

> Closer Heath Bell picked up his fourth consecutive save in as many chances Tuesday. But perhaps the more encouraging sign was how he was ringing up the radar gun with a fastball that topped off at 95, 96 miles per hour. 

"My mechanics are starting to feel good. I feel like I can roar back and give it a little bit more and actually hit my spot," Bell said. "For awhile, I haven't felt like that. I've just been trying to stay under control, hit my spots and keep the ball down."

> Second baseman Omar Infante was back in the Marlins lineup Wednesday after taking three days off to return home to his native Venezuela and attend the funeral of his paternal grandfather.
Infante said he was scheduled to come back and play in Tuesday's game, but didn't because his flight was delayed because of stormy weather.

WEDNESDAY'S LINEUPS

> Rockies (15-27): 1. Eric Young CF, 2. Marco Scutaro 2B, 3. Carlos Gonzalez LF, 4. Troy Tulowitzki SS, 5. Jason Giambi 1B, 6. Michael Cuddyer RF, 7. Jordan Pacheco 3B, 8. Ramon Hernandez C, 9. Alex White P.

> Marlins (24-19): 1. Jose Reyes SS, 2. Omar Infante 2B, 3. Hanley Ramirez 3B, 4. Greg Dobbs 1B, 5. Giancarlo Stanton RF, 6. Chris Coghlan LF, 7. Brett Hayes C, 8. Bryan Petersen CF, 9. Carlos Zambrano P.

Mujica said Oviedo told him he would likely return to Marlins June 1st

Juan Carlos Oviedo, the relief pitcher formerly known as Leo Nunez, is a big step closer to getting his career back on track with the Marlins.

According to a major league source and published reports, Oviedo received a pardon from the U.S. State Department Wednesday and must now wait to receive a visa from the U.S. consulate in the Dominican Republic in the coming days to return to the Marlins.

Once he arrives, though, the 30-year old right-hander must serve an eight-week suspension with major league baseball for faking his identity when he signed with the Pirates in 2000. Oviedo, third on the Marlins all-time saves list with 92, has been on baseball's restricted list since last September and will not receive any of the $6 million he is due until the suspension is over.

It still isn't clear when exactly Oviedo will return to South Florida, but teammate Edward Mujica said Wednesday that when he spoke to Oviedo on Monday Oviedo told him it would likely be June 1st.

The Marlins told reporters they had nothing to say yet about the matter because "nothing had been finalized." But when Marlins President David Samson was asked by local radio station 790TheTicket on Wednesday if he expected Oviedo to be a part of the team's bullpen later this season Samson said: "Yes."

"When he reports, after that, there will be a period of time that he will not be with us," Samson told 790 AM. "We're not really counting on him for quite a while... The way it's supposed to work, he's supposed to get a visa, call us to say he has a visa. We make a flight to get him to Florida so he can report and start doing stuff with him, and wait to hear what's next. We haven't even got to the first part yet, but I did just read about him getting on. So when there's smoke there's fire. But we have not gotten that first call."

Manager Ozzie Guillen said before Wednesday's game that he felt for Oviedo because he was a victim of a tough situation in the Dominican in which players over 18 years of age have trouble getting signed because the push is to sign younger players.

"People who criticize that situation are people who have never lived in that situation," Guillen said. "You want to live it? Go out there and spend a month, not an [expletive] weekend. Go there for a weekend and you have a couple beers and say 'Oh this is nice.' Go there for three months, four months and live the life they live and you'll see why they're doing this."

The Marlins have said in the past they envision using Oviedo as a set-up man for closer Heath Bell. Asked it about Wednesday, Guillen said he would have to see Oviedo first before figuring out where to use him.

"Either way, our ballclub is going to be better -- if he pitches like he did in the past," Guillen said. "It's like making a trade in July."

Said Mujica: "I'm definitely happy for him. We need him on the team. His chemistry especially. In the bullpen, I'm the only Latin guy now."

-- Miami Herald staff writers Frances Robles, Barry Jackson and Clark Spencer contributed to this report

Report: Juan Carlos Oviedo receives visa to return to U.S.

Juan Carlos Oviedo, the relief pitcher for the Marlins formerly known as Leo Nunez, received his visa Wednesday to return to the United States according to a published report in El Caribe.

Although Oviedo can return to the U.S. it doesn't mean he can pitch right away. He still has to serve an eight week suspension laid down by Major League Baseball.

The Marlins have said in the past they envision using Oviedo as a set-up man for closer Heath Bell. Nunez will not receive any of his $6 million salary until his suspension is over.

MLB and the Marlins have yet to comment about the matter.

Oviedo has 92 saves in his career for the Marlins, third all-time.