Fish Bytes

Guillen doesn't think Zambrano will miss a start, but bothered he wasn't honest about pain; plus Murphy designated

Carlos Zambrano's stiff lower back may have cost him in Saturday night's start, but it doesn't appear as thought it will force him to miss any time according to manager Ozzie Guillen.

"Carlos had a stiff back. He couldn't get it loose. That's what I heard from the training staff," Guillen said. "I don't think he'll miss a start."

Guillen was more disappointed that Zambrano just wasn't more honest about the pain he was experiencing so he could take him out of the game. Guillen said Zambrano told him twice he was okay when he went out to the mound in the third inning.

"It was a very tough situation because I wish my players trusted me more," Guillen said. "I can appreciate what Carlos did. He wants to pitch. He wants to stick up for us. He didn't want me to use the bullpen. We appreciate that. But meanwhile, I wish he could be more honest. I'd rather lose a game than lose a player and really lose him for no reason."

Afterward, Zambrano was a bit remorseful, admitting he came in with a stiff back and was simply trying to tough it out.

"During the game it was aggravated to the point I couldn't pitch anymore," Zambrano said. "I think it was too late. I should have said something before I faced [Ben] Zobrist. I learned something today. I learned it's not about being a hero. It's about being smart. Even if you've been in the big leagues for 11 years you learn something everyday."

> The Marlins announced after the game they were designated Donnie Murphy for assignment. Murphy was hitting .133 -- 6 for 45 -- with two homers and five RBI as a reserve.

Zambrano knocked out early vs. Rays, leaves with stiffness in his lower back

Carlos Zambrano endured his shortest and roughest outing of the season Saturday night against the Rays.

But that wasn't the worst of the news.

Carlos Zambrano was knocked out of Saturday's game after just 2 1/3 innings with lower back stiffness.

The 30-year old right-hander walked off the mound accompanied by Marlins trainer Mike Kozak and was diagnosed with lower back stiffness. He gave up seven earned runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings.

After needing just seven pitches to get through the first inning, Zambrano threw 36 pitches in the second as he struggled with control. The Rays batted around and scored five runs.

Although he struggled, there weren't any signs something might be physically wrong with Zambrano until he walked Carlos Pena with one out in the third.

Moments after walking Pena, third baseman Hanley Ramirez and catcher John Buck jogged over to the mound. Kozak, pitching coach Randy St. Claire and manager Ozzie Guillen quickly followed along with plate umpire Brian O'Nora. 

After a short meeting, Zambrano remained in the game and threw five pitches to Ben Zobrist before the switch hitting second baseman crushed an 86-mile per hour fastball into the upper deck in right field for a two-run home run. 

After that, Ramirez and Buck returned to the mound and waved Guillen onto the field to come take out Zambrano.

Even with his rough start Saturday, Zambrano has pitched well for the Marlins since being acquired in a trade for Chris Volstad this past winter.

He went 7 2/3 innings in his previous start Sunday in Philadelphia and hit a home run. He was 4-3 coming into Saturday. His ERA -- counting Saturday's start -- is 3.55. 

LoMo says struggles at the plate are mental and mechanical

After being given two days off to relax and find his rhythm at the plate, slumping first baseman Logan Morrison is expected to be back in the Marlins lineup Sunday against the Rays.

Marlins first baseman Logan Morrison is hitting just .164 since the start of May.

And the hope is he'll be the guy who hit .310 with two homers and eight RBI in April. Not the Morrison who has hit just .164 (18 for 110) with two home runs and seven RBI since then. 

"I'm just trying to go back to what made me successful, what got me here -- like going the other way, trying to have quality at-bats," said Morrison, who went into Saturday's game against the Rays hitless in his last 18 at-bats.

"I'm taking [the days off] as a good thing because there's not a lot of positive and I have to find some."

Morrison said his troubles at the plate are combination of mechanical and mental issues.

"You're only as good as the pitch you swing at," said Morrison, whose .214 batting average ranks fifth lowest among qualified everyday position players in the National League.

"So I have to do a better job swinging at strikes and letting the ball the travel, staying behind the ball. I think that's the biggest thing. It's just staying behind it. I hit the ball pretty well to right field twice the other day. But I wasn't behind it so it didn't go anywhere. As long as I can stay behind the ball I'll be alright."

Even if Morrison does turn it around, it might not be long before former first baseman Gaby Sanchez gets called back up. Sent down to the minors on May 20, Sanchez went into Saturday's game in Oklahoma City hitting .310 with three homers, 10 RBI and a .494 on base percentage for Triple A New Orleans. He went 4-for-4 with a home run and four RBI on Friday.

"We need this kid," manager Ozzie Guillen said of Morrison. "I did to him like I did to anybody else when they struggle. Hopefully, mentally, I helped him. Hopefully, when he's back in the lineup he's back in charge. We're a better team when he's in the lineup."

FENCING TEAM?

Reliever Edward Mujica, known for his fun-natured hijinks in the Marlins bullpen, has a new hobby that's keeping his teammates laughing between innings.

Call it imaginary sword fighting.

"He takes this dowel, ties a rope around it and he'll pretend like he's fighting some one," reliever Steve Cishek said. "I guess he found out I took fencing in college [at Carson Newman] and thought it was kind of cool. So, we looked up some equipment and ordered it."

The equipment -- a pair of swords and masks -- arrived in the Marlins clubhouse earlier this week. They can be found just above Mujica's locker with a Marlins logo attached.

"Just Mujica being Mujica," Cishek said.

> Asked about his impressions of Bryce Harper a week after seeing him, Guillen had nothing but praise for the 19-year-old Nationals’ outfielder.

“The kid got a good chance to be a great player,” Guillen said. “I don’t know why we don’t like players like that when they come to the league. This kid plays his [butt] off. This kid plays the game right. This kid has a lot of talent. Some rookies come here like a big shot, big ego, don’t run the bases. I’m the man. This kid do everything the opposite. He runs. He plays hard. He feels proud. He gets upset. Don’t hate the player."

Harper went 2-for-12 with a triple and two strikeouts last week when the Marlins got their first regular season taste of him.

> A charity softball game featuring the wives and sisters of Marlins and Rays players was played shortly before Saturday's game. The Rays won 14-2. 

SATURDAY'S LINEUPS

> Rays (33-25): 1. Will Rhymes 3B, 2. Desmond Jennings LF, 3. Matt Joyce RF, 4. B.J. Upton CF, 5. Carlos Pena 1B, 6. Ben Zobrist 2B, 7. Elliot Johnson SS, 8. Jose Molina C, 9. Matt Moore LHP.

> Marlins (31-27): 1. Jose Reyes SS, 2. Omar Infante 2B, 3. Hanley Ramirez 3B, 4. Giancarlo Stanton RF, 5. Justin Ruggiano CF, 6. Austin Kearns 1B, 7. Donovan Solano LF, 8. John Buck C, 9. Carlos Zambrano RHP.