Only yesterday Ozzie Guillen was talking about how he wished he could find one lineup and stick with it. Well, here we are Friday as the second half begins and Guillen is rolling out his 62nd different lineup of the season in what will be game number 86.
The big change is Hanley Ramirez, who drops to fifth in the order.
"I'm trying to get something going," Guillen said. "I think right now Hanley is struggling at the plate, and as soon as Hanley starts to hit the ball better, he will be moved back to where he is supposed to be."
Guillen said he still believes that Ramirez is a No. 3 hitter, even though he had been hitting in the second half before the All-Star break.
"Right now, the way he's struggling the last couple of weeks, hopefully we can help him get his swing back," Guillen said.
Guillen said he spoke privately with Ramirez about cutting his hand on a cooling fan inside the dugout in St. Louis last week. Guillen was upset about the incident, describing it as "immature."
"Everytime players get upset and get hurt, you not only hurt yourself, you hurt a lot of people," Guillen said. "And I hope and wish it doesn't happen again. Thank God it's just a cut, it's not a broken hand."
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Giancarlo Stanton was walking without crutches on Friday, four days after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove two cartilage fragments from his right knee. But Stanton said the prognosis remains the same: four to six weeks.
Stanton said the stitches will be removed on Monday.
"It feels pretty good," said Stanton, adding that he has already started rehab work. "They say four to six weeks, but I have no clue."
Stanton missed the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game because of the injury, but said he watched the home run competition from his hospital bed Monday night.
"I know that we took care of business," Stanton said of the N.L. team's win over the A.L. in Tuesday's All-Star game.
Stanton was officially placed on the 15-day list on Friday to make room for Emilio Bonifacio, who was reactivated from the DL.
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LINEUP:
Marlins: 1. Jose Reyes, ss; 2. Omar Infante, 2b; 3. Carlos Lee, 1b; 4. Logan Morrison, lf; 5. Hanley Ramirez, 3b; 6. Justin Ruggiano, rf; 7. Emilio Bonifacio, cf; 8. John Buck, c; 9. Josh Johnson, p.
Nationals: 1. Steve Lombardozzi, lf; 2. Bryce Harper, cf; 3. Ryan Zimmerman, 3b; 4. Michael Morse, rf; 5. Adam LaRoche, 1b; 6. Ian Desmond, ss; 7. Danny Espinosa, 2b; 8. Jesus Flores, c; 9. Jordan Zimmermann, p.
Umpires: HP -- Jeff Kellogg; 1B -- Eric Cooper; 2B -- Marty Foster; 3B -- D.J. Reyburn.
