Fish Bytes

Marlins place OF Chris Coghlan on the 15-day disabled list; LoMo set to make debut Sunday

NEW YORK -- After winning a 20-inning marathon on Saturday, the Marlins began the day Sunday by placing outfielder Chris Coghlan on the 15-day disabled list and activating first baseman Logan Morrison from the 60-day disabled list.

Coghlan, who had a 10-game hitting streak snapped on Tuesday, has right calf nerve irritation according to the Marlins. He was hurt earlier this week, but starter Saturday's game in center field and played eight innings.

Morrison, returning from a second knee surgery, hit .179 during his 16-game rehab assignment with Single A Jupiter and Double A Jacksonville. He was pulled after making just one at-bat Saturday in Birmingham.

The Marlins had said Morrison would likely rejoin the team in Miami Monday, but he is here in the Big Apple and will make his debut today against the Mets. Morrison hasn't played in a big league game since last July 28th. He hit .230 with 11 homers and 36 RBI in 93 games last season.

The Marlins also announced their 40-man roster is now set at 40.

SUNDAY'S LINEUP

> Marlins (17-44): 1. Juan Pierre LF, 2. Ed Lucas 3B, 3. Derek Dietrich 2B, 4. Marcell Ozuna RF, 5. Logan Morrison 1B, 6. Justin Ruggiano CF, 7. Adeiny Hechavarria SS, 8. Jeff Mathis C, 9. Tom Koehler RHP.

Marlins rookie 2B Derek Dietrich bumps into 3-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis; Koehler returns home

NEW YORK -- You never know who you might bump into during your stay in the Big Apple.

Marlins rookie second baseman Derek Dietrich had one of those once in a lifetime encounters earlier this week when he and his agent, David Meter, bumped into three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis in Greenwich Village.

"I had just finished up at the MLB Fan Cave with my agent and were about to get on the subway when [Meter] said 'Hey D, that's Daniel Day Lewis," Dietrich said. "[Day-Lewis] was talking to his son. We stood there and waited. He handed his son some money. His son went one way and he started walking toward us. My agent said 'Daniel!' He said, 'Oh man I was trying to fly under the radar. You caught me.' David said, 'I've got one of my players here and they're playing the Mets.' [Day-Lewis] said he enjoyed baseball and asked me how my journey to the big leagues was."

Dietrich didn't ask Day-Lewis for his autograph, but ask him to pose for a photo.

"I'm a huge history buff and I loved the movie Lincoln. So to see him was pretty cool," Dietrich said of Day-Lewis, who recently won best actor honors for his role as Lincoln. " As soon as I walked away I said 'Man, I should have invited him and his son to the game.'"

KOEHLER PREPARING FOR HOME START

Marlins right-hander Tom Koehler, born in the Bronx and a graduate of New Rochelle High, is looking forward to his Sunday start, one that figures to be well attended by family and friends.

Koehler came back to New York with the Marlins last season in September and pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Sunday's start though will be his first back home.

"There's been a lot of people who have helped out a long the way for me to get here," said Koehler, who is still looking for his first big league win. "For them, I'm sure it will mean a lot. I'm sure when I go out there during warming up and stretching I'll see a lot of faces I haven't seen in awhile and some quick memories will flash back."

Koehler said he's leaving six tickets for his parents, grandmothers, wife and sister, but the rest of his family and friends are on their own when it comes to buying tickets.

"I don't want a situation where you leave 35 tickets and 15 show up," Koehler said laughing.

Pitching in front of family and friends might not be as difficult a task as Koehler had Friday when manager Mike Redmond caught his bullpen session.

"He didn't have any gear on so that was the scary part," Koehler said. "It's only been two years out of the game, but shorts and a t-shirt? I don't know if he was hoping I would bounce one off the turf. He was back there, wasn't bailing out on anything. I was a little more focused than I probably would have been -- especially indoors."

> Redmond said he expects first baseman Logan Morrison, who homered on Friday night for Double A Jacksonville, to be activated on Monday as expected.

All-Star right fielder Giancarlo Stanton could take a couple extra days. He's been playing for the Single A Jupiter Hammerheads, who had their last two games rained out on Thursday and Friday. 

> Jupiter outfielder Brent Keys and left-hander pitcher Justin Nicolino were named Marlins Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for May 2013.

Keys hit .356 (36-for-101) in 25 games with two doubles, one home run, and seven RBI. He posted a .440 on-base percentage, drawing 14 walks to just six strikeouts.

Nicolino went 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in six games started in May. Over 31 2/3 innings pitched, he held opponents to a .227 batting average while striking out 29 and walking only four.

SATURDAY'S LINEUPS

> Marlins (16-44): 1. Juan Pierre LF, 2. Ed Lucas 1B, 3. Derek Dietrich 2B, 4. Marcell Ozuna RF, 5. Chris Coghlan CF, 6. Placido Polanco 3B, 7. Rob Brantly C, 8. Adeiny Hechavarria SS, 9. Jose Fernandez RHP.

> Mets (23-33): 1. Omar Quintanilla SS, 2. Daniel Murphy 2B, 3. David Wright 3B, 4. Lucas Duda LF, 5. Marlon Byrd RF, 6. Ike Davis 1B, 7. John Buck C, 8. Juan Lagares CF, 9. Matt Harvey RHP.

Closer frustrations continue for Cishek; Mayberry Jr. robbed Pierre of heroics

PHILADELPHIA -- Steve Cishek hasn't had many opportunities to protect a lead late in the game this season, but he blew another one of those rare chances Tuesday night against the Phillies.

With the Marlins ahead 3-2 in the 10th, the 26-year old right-hander gave up a solo home run to John Mayberry Jr. on what turned out to be a 2-2 slider that was just too flat according to manager Mike Redmond. The home run was the third Cishek has given up in 24 appearances. He gave up three homers all of last season in 68 appearances.

"It's tough. Your team is relying on you to put the game away. They fought so hard. And now it's all on your hands. You need to get three outs, right then and there and shut the door. It didn't work out," a disappointed Cishek said afterward.

"I'm feeling great. Mentally I feel good. Today I felt good. A couple of pitches got away from me, but I thought I made a couple good pitches too. Other than the slider to Mayberry everything felt good. Mentally I feel better than I had all year."

Cishek did appear to be turning a corner before Tuesday's struggles. After giving up three earned runs in a loss to the Reds back on May 16, he had given up just one earned run over his last seven appearances (1.35). Then Mayberry got him.

PIERRE OVERSHADOWED

If not for Mayberry's Jr.'s two homers in extra innings, Juan Pierre would have been the story and the hero Tuesday.

The 35-year old used his speed to manufacture the go-ahead run in the 10th, drawing a nine-pitch walk, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt and then stealing third off former Phillies teammate Antonio Bastardo. He then scored on a wild pitch.

"Our offense has struggled to generate runs. That's just a guy trying to make something happen, be aggressive, and he did," Redmond said. "I wish it would have held up because that was a great effort by him to get himself in scoring position and score on a wild pitch. We just couldn't hold them up."

Pierre said playing with Bastardo last season helped him swipe third base.

"He did in the inside move which he didn't do much last year when I saw him," Pierre said. "I just figured he did one for show. We call those money bags where you do it late in the game to try and score a run. It worked out well."

WEDNESDAY'S LINEUPS

Marlins (16-43): 1. Juan Pierre LF, 2. Ed Lucas 3B, 3. Derek Dietrich 2B, Marcell Ozuna RF, 5. Justin Ruggiano CF, 6. Casey Kotchman 1B, 7. Adeiny Hechavarria SS, 8. Jeff Mathis C, 9. Jacob Turner RHP.

Yelich leaves Double A game with lower abdominal discomfort; Stanton running the bases

Prized prospect Christian Yelich left his Monday afternoon game at Double A Jacksonville with discomfort in his lower abdominal area according to skipper Andy Barkett. 

Yelich, hitting .262 with six homers and 28 RBI for the Suns, injured himself diving for a ball in center field Sunday night, but "didn't mention anything about it" until Monday.

"He thought it was a little dull pain, but as he was playing the game [Monday] he was feeling it a little bit more," Barkett told the Suns' radio network. "So as a precautionary measure we took him out to get him checked out, see how he's feeling."

Yelich, the No. 2 prospect in the organization behind pitcher Jose Fernandez, is expected to be called up to the big leagues at some point this season. Depending on what kind of shape his abdomen is in after his MRI that might put the breaks on those plans. 

VIDEO INTERVIEW OF BURKETT

> Marlins manager Mike Redmond said Giancarlo Stanton ran the bases in Single A Jupiter Monday, a sign of progress for the injured All-Star right fielder who has been out with a grade two hamstring strain since April 30. Redmond said he still isn't sure when Stanton will begin playing in rehab games.

"Hopefully everything will go well with then he's getting close to playing in a game I would think," Redmond said. "At this point we go day-to-day and see how he feels."

> Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi will make his third rehab start Tuesday for the Suns. Eovaldi went 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA and a nine combined innings pitched in his first two starts with Jupiter. "We'll see how he throws and make a decision from there," Redmond said. 

> Third baseman Placido Polanco was pulled from Monday's lineup because he's battling a cold. "He's been playing a lot and it just made sense to get [Ed] Lucas back in there and give [Polanco] another day to recuperate and feel better," Redmond said. 

MONDAY'S LINEUPS

> Marlins (16-41): 1. Juan Pierre LF, 2. Ed Lucas 3B, 2. Derek Dietrich 2B, 4. Marcell Ozuna RF, 5. Chris Coghlan CF, 6. Casey Kotchman 1B, 7. Adeiny Hechavarria SS, 8. Rob Brantly C, 9. Tom Koehler RHP.

> Phillies (27-30): 1. Ben Revere CF, 2. Cesar Hernandez 2B, 3. Jimmy Rollins SS, 4. Ryan Howard 1B, 5. Domonic Brown LF, 6. Delmon Young RF, 7. Erik Kratz C, 8. Freddy Galvis 3B, 9. Kyle Kendrick RHP.

Redmond says Stanton backing off rehab because of sore knees; then Stanton runs

It's hard to tell where exactly Giancarlo Stanton is in his comeback from a second degree hamstring injury these days.

One minute his manager is telling reporters the All-Star right fielder is backing off his rehab because of sore knees. The next, Stanton can be seen running in the Marlins outfield during batting practice. Such was the case Thursday.

"Stanton came in a couple days ago with some sore knees. We've had to back him off," Mike Redmond told reporters before Thursday's game when asked if he had any health updates among the laundry list of injuries on the team. "He just started lightly jogging and is now complaining about his knees being sore. So, that's where we're at with that. He's still playing catch and hitting, but not being able to run."

Disappointed, Skip?

"Disappointing?," Redmond said with a chuckle under his breath. "That's an understatement. That's an understatement."

Less than 20 minutes later, after stretching alongside his teammates before batting practice, Stanton was seen working with the Marlins training staff and running in the outfield grass.

Stanton said Wednesday he no longer feels pain in his hamstring, but added "it's more about letting it go." We assume he meant the fear of re-injuring himself.

On Wednesday, Redmond was asked how much longer he thought Stanton might be out.

"It's really just up to him and to how he's feeling now and when he's ready to start," Redmond said. "He can start anyday. It's really up to him when he feels good to go start on a rehab [assignment]."

I don't know about you, but that sounds like a manager saying it all comes down to the pain tolerance of his player.

MORE NOTES

> The Marlins will announce after Thursday's game who their Friday night starter will be. Chances are it will be left-hander Wade LeBlanc, who hasn't pitched since tossing three scoreless innings of relief Sunday against the White Sox.

LeBlanc has posted a 3.09 ERA in the five relief appearances since being yanked out of the rotation on May 6th. He was 0-5 with a 6.11 ERA before that.

"It's like a non-stop, constant battle to keep your mind in the same spot," LeBlanc said when asked if he's learned anything about starting pitching since being yanked from the rotation. "There's a lot of things that can go wrong. Broken bat pitches, errors, mistakes on your part. You have to keep flushing away and moving onto the next pitch because your whole job as a starting pitcher is to go as deep as you can with 100 pitches and give your team a chance to win.

"If you're focused on all the negative things its not going to allow you to move on. At times I let bad luck or whatever you want to call it get into my head. I put pressure on myself to make the perfect pitch instead of just letting go. That's the main thing I've been focusing on -- not really worrying about the results, but the process in my mind."

> Redmond said in a perfect situation he'd like to move the red-hot Chris Coghlan out of the team's leadoff spot and in a position where he could drive in runs. But since moving into the starting lineup 11 games ago, Coghlan has been getting on base more often than anyone on the team. He's hitting .351 with three doubles, three triples, a home run and four RBI over the stretch.

"He's not a prototypical leadoff hitter, but then again we don't have a prototypical three or four hole hitter either," Redmond said. "So it's just one of those spots where I feel like he's giving us good at-bats. I'm trying to get guys on base for the middle of the order. We get some guys on base at least they'll have an opportunity to drive someone in. Right now, he's the guy getting on base so we're hitting him in the top of the order.

> Hitting coach Tino Martinez said it's been a tough battle this season trying to get his younger hitters to take pitchers deeper into counts while still being aggressive and swinging at good pitches. Wednesday, Rays sinkerballer Roberto Hernandez became the latest opposing starter to get deep into the game with a low pitch count, a problem the Marlins have had all season.

"There's a lot of young hitters in here," Martinez said. "[Adeiny] Hechavarria, a lot of those young guys, they're free swingers. They like to swing at the first one or two pitches. I don't want to take that aggressiveness away from them yet I want them to be more patient at times when they have to be and not chase pitches out of the zone. They're becoming tougher outs, which is what I want."

While the Marlins are the worst offensive team in baseball, they are fairly successful when they swing at the first pitch, hitting .286 as a team with five homers and 21 RBI.

Here's a list of how the Marlins hit as a team in all counts in order of when the at-bat ends: 1-2 counts (.147 in 293 at-bats), 2-2 (.178 in 247 ABs), 0-1 counts (.191 in 204 ABs), first pitch (.286 in 199 ABs), 1-1 (.273 in 183 ABs), 0-2 (.163 in 172 ABs), 3-2 (.197 in 152 ABs), 1-0 (.289 in 121 ABs), 2-1 (.296 in 108 ABs), 2-0 (.351 in 34 ABs), 3-1 (.471 in 34 ABs) 3-0 (.000 with 30 BBs).

The most aggressive first pitch swingers are Justin Ruggiano (24 ABs), Rob Brantly (20 ABs), Greg Dobbs (19 ABs), Chris Coghlan (17 ABs) and Adeiny Hechavarria (17 ABs). Coghlan is hitting .353, Ruggiano .375 and Brantly .400 on first pitch contact. But Dobbs is hitting .211 and Hechavarria is hitting only .176.

"Some guys like to swing at the first pitch, but in general if the guy in front of you swings at the first pitch, the guy behind you has got to take," Redmond said "We've got to eliminate the five pitch inning. That just doesn't cut it. Part of that is youth. We got to keep reminding guys we can't allow the pitcher to go out there and throw seven pitches and get three outs."

THURSDAY'S LINEUPS

> Marlins (13-40): 1. Chris Coghlan LF, 2. Placido Polanco 3B, 3. Derek Dietrich 2B, 4. Marcell Ozuna RF, 5. Justin Ruggiano CF, 6. Greg Dobbs 1B, 7. Adeiny Hechavarria SS, 8. Rob Brantly C, 9. Ricky Nolasco RHP.

> Rays (28-24): 1. Ben Zobrist 2B, 2. Matt Joyce RF, 3. Kelly Johnson LF, 4. Evan Longoria 3B, 5. James Loney 1B, 6. Desmond Jennings CF, 7. Yunel Escobar SS, 8. Jose Molina C, 9. Alex Colome RHP.

Marlins hang #LiveLikeBella jersey in dugout Wednesday to honor 10-year old cancer fighter

Just like Dwyane Wade and LeBron James did before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Marlins have decided to honor the young life and spirit of local cancer fighter Bella Rodriguez-Torres, who passed away on Tuesday after a six-year battle with a rare, aggressive form of the disease.

The Marlins will hang a jersey with the phrase "#LiveLikeBella" in their dugout during Wednesday's game at Marlins Park against the Tampa Bay Rays. Tuesday, Wade and James wrote the same phrase on their sneakers before they took on the Pacers. 

Rodriguez-Torres's fight against cancer made news over the last few the years as her story picked up steam on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Her father wrote a book about his daughter’s ordeal with rhabdomyosarcoma as she went through chemotherapy, radiation and surgery and coined the phrase, “Live Like Bella.” The family created her own popular website.

"You guys obviously know about my experience with cancer and my father," said Marlins manager Mike Redmond. "Being a part of the community down here I know this has been a story that's touched so many peoples lives. I just thought it was appropriate we got a jersey for her and kind of honored her. It has affected my life, cancer, losing my dad. A story like that out of such a young girl, 10 years old, obviously touched me. I know some of the guys know about it too. We just felt it was the right thing to do, the appropriate thing to do to honor her."

LUCAS GETS CALL

After 10 years of fighting through the minor leagues, veteran utility man Ed Lucas finally got the call up he had been hoping for Tuesday when the Marlins designated infielder Nick Green for assignment and selected the contract of the 31-year old Lucas from Triple A New Orleans. 

Lucas, a former eighth round pick of the Royals and the oldest player in the Marlins organization who had yet to play at the big league level, is expected to be used all over the field while the Marlins wait for several of their injured players to return from the disabled list.

"It was a pretty big surprise," said Lucas, who was hitting .304 with five homers and 14 RBI for the Zephyrs. "I'd been doing OK. But it's been 10 years and to finally get that call. At some point you kind of stopped expecting and kind of put it in the back of your mind, hoping it will come."

Lucas said he and his New Orleans teammates were running sprints before their game Tuesday when manager Ron Hassey called the entire team into the clubhouse "and broke the good news in front of everybody."

"Lot of hugs, lot of congratulations, especially in my case just because I've been around so long," said Lucas, who in 925 career minor league games is a .278 hitter with 66 homers and 418 RBI. "I think a lot of people who have put in a lot of time can relate to my situation. A lot of well wishes, a lot of congratulations and its really good to see that kind of support from the team. In this kind of day in age it's dog eat dog. It was nice to get some heartfelt appreciation."

Lucas said his parents, who live about four hours north of Miami in Deltona, along with his sister and fiancee were making the trip down for Wednesday's game. Lucas graduated from Dartmouth in 2004 when he was named the Ivy League Player of the Year. He majored in Sociology and Economics.

"This is the fun part of the job when you get to bring a kid to the big leagues who has been in the minor leagues forever," Redmond said. "Hopefully he'll come up and bring some energy and get some big hits for us."

THIS AND THAT

All-Star right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, out since April 30, is still fighting his way back from a Grade 2 hamstring strain. Stanton said he's been picking up his speed while running on the outfield grass and simulating the cuts he needs to make while running the bases. But he still isn't going at full speed.

"It's really just up to him and to how he's feeling now and when he's ready to start," Redmond said. "He can start anyday. It's really up to him when he feels good to go start on a rehab [assignment]."

Stanton said he no longer feels pain in his hamstring and adds it's "more muscle memory and being able to let it go."

> Logan Morrison went 0-for-3 with a walk in Double A Jacksonville Suns debut Tuesday. He's now 4-for-26 (.154) with three RBI in seven minor league games since beginning his rehab assignment. Redmond said he expects Morrison will stay in the minors until his 20-day stint ends on June 8th.

WEDNESDAY'S LINEUPS

> Marlins (13-39): 1. Chris Coghlan LF, 2. Placido Polanco 3B, 3. Derek Dietrich 2B, 4. Marcell Ozuna RF, 5. Justin Ruggiano CF, 6. Greg Dobbs 1B, 7. Adeiny Hechavarria SS, 8. Rob Brantly C, 9. Tom Koehler RHP.

> Rays (27-24): 1. Ben Zobrist 2B, 2. Matt Joyce RF, 3. Kelly Johnson LF, 4. Evan Longoria 3B, 5. James loney 1B, 6. Desmond Jennings CF, 7. Yunel Escobar SS, 8. Jose Molina C, 9. Roberto Hernandez RHP.

Mother's Day lineups - Marlins at Dodgers

LOS ANGELES -- Happy Mother's Day.

There is pink everywhere on the field today -- including the ball, first time that's happened in baseball. Aside from the stitching, there’s a small MLB logo in the middle of a pink ribbon, which is the international symbol of breast cancer awareness.

TODAY'S LINEUPS

> Marlins (11-26): 1. Juan Pierre LF, 2. Placido Polanco 3B, 3. Justin Ruggiano CF, 4. Marcell Ozuna RF, 5. Miguel Olivo C, 6. Nick Green 1B, 7. Derek Dietrich 2B, 8. Adeiny Hechavarria SS, 9. Tom Koehler RHP.

> Dodgers (14-21): 1. Carl Crawford LF, 2. Dee Gordon SS, 3. Matt Kemp CF, 4. Andre Ethier RF, 5. Scott Van Slyke 1B, 6. Skip Schumaker 2B, 7. Tim Federowicz C, 8. Nick Punto 3B, 9. Chris Capuano LHP.

Koehler replaces struggling LeBlanc in Marlins' rotation; Morrison hits home run in rehab game

The Marlins have moved long reliever Tom Koehler (0-0, 3.18 ERA) into the rotation, flip-flopping left-hander Wade LeBlanc (0-5, 6.11 ERA) into his spot in the bullpen.

Koehler will pitch Sunday against the Dodgers. He made one start last season, going five innings and giving up six hits and three earned runs in a 4-2 loss to the Mets in the season finale.

> Right-hander Alex Sanabia, who tweaked his right groin in his last start Tuesday, will have his next scheduled start pushed back at least day according to Redmond to give him extra rest. Ricky Nolasco will start in Sanabia's place Tuesday when the Marlins return home to face the Reds.

> Utility infielder Chris Valaika returned home and had surgery on his broken left wrist Friday. Valiaka will need four to six weeks to heal before beginning his rehab Redmond said.

> First baseman Logan Morrison went 2-for-3 with a single and a home run in extended spring training action Friday. Morrison still isn't playing the field and is only playing as a designated hitter.

> Redmond is optimistic catcher Jeff Mathis, rehabbing in Double A Jacksonville, could end up rejoining the team Tuesday. Mathis has caught nine innings in back-to-back games.

> Right fielder Giancarlo Stanton is still running in a pool as he attempts to come back from a hamstring injury, Redmond said. 

FRIDAY'S LINEUPS

> Marlins (10-25): 1. Juan Pierre LF, 2. Adeiny Hechavarria SS, 3. Placido Polanco 3B, 4. Justin Ruggiano CF, 5. Greg Dobbs 1B, 6. Marcell Ozuna RF, 7. Derek Dietrich 2B, 8. Rob Brantly C, 9. Jose Fernandez RHP.

> Dodgers (13-20): 1. Carl Crawford LF, 2. Nick Punto 3B, 3. Adrian Gonzalez 1B, 4. Matt Kemp CF, 5. Andre Ethier RF, 6. A.J. Ellis C, 7. Skip Schumaker 2B, 8. Dee Gordon SS, 9. Matt Magill RHP.

Dietrich becomes latest Marlins prospect to get call-up after injury

SAN DIEGO -- Another day, another Marlins top prospect gets the call-up from the minors to help fill a void created by injury.

Derek Dietrich, rated the Marlins' eighth-best prospect according to MLB.com, got the phone call he had been waiting for all his life at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday morning from Double A Jacksonville Suns manager Andy Barkett.

Less than 12 hours later, he's in the Marlins lineup, batting seventh and playing second base for manager Mike Redmond, who has spent his first three months on the job seeing more players go on the disabled list than anybody else in baseball.

By sending utility infielder Chris Valaika to the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a fractured left wrist the Marlins have now sent 12 different players to the DL this season (11 are currently there) -- more than anybody in baseball. Not counting Wednesday, the Marlins have lost a major-league leading 309 days of player availability. The Yankees are second with 269 according to the Marlins' sports information staff.

"It's been crazy," Redmond said before Wednesday's game against the Padres. "To see so many guys, at so many different positions. And we're not getting them back, which is the tough part. It's one thing to lose guys to injuries, but we're not getting them back on the field. Our pitchers have been down for months.

"We're hoping that eventually we're going to get some of these guys back. We've been piecing things together and playing shorthanded. I'm not going to sit here and feel sorry for myself or the team. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. It is what it is. We've got to keep going out there and playing, and fighting and battling, and doing the best that we can."

With Donovan Solano and Valaika going to the DL on back-to-back days, Dietrich, a 23-year old former second round pick of the Rays in 2010, will see plenty of action at second base over the next few weeks Redmond said. In his 28 games with the Suns this season, Dietrich was hitting .282 with four homers and 16 RBI. Dietrich said he spent the past five games playing third base, but saw the majority of his action at second this season.

He played all 13 innings of the Suns' loss Tuesday in Jacksonville and then took a 6:30 a.m. flight to Atlanta before getting on a cross-country flight to San Diego. He arrived at Petco Park this morning less than two hours before first pitch. His parents, whom he woke up in the middle of the night to break the news of his big league call-up, are making the flight over from Cleveland to watch his major league debut.

"I remember my Major League debut, I didn't sleep either, and I had a pretty good day," Redmond said. "He can take tomorrow off with the rest of us, and get some sleep and do whatever he wants.

"This is a great opportunity. He's one of those guys we look at as being part of the future. To get him up here and get him the experience is great. We'll see how he does. If he comes up and has success and does well, it puts a lot of pressure on other guys, and us to make a decision. Hopefully, that happens."

Dietrich, who said he got about two hours of sleep on his way to the stadium, joked: "I've probably got enough adrenaline to get me going at least through the week."

As for his play at second, Dietrich said he did get to work a little with shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria in spring training and doesn't expect to have any problems playing alongside him.

"He's a great, great defender, one of the best young shortstops in the game," Dietrich said. "I think he's probably going to make my job easier. With him out there it will definitely make things easy and smooth. I can't wait to play next to him."

> Redmond said trainers told him Valaika's fractured left wrist, which will not require surgery, will keep him out at least four to six weeks. "I don’t know if that’s just straight heal time and then build him back up or four to six weeks until he’s back playing," Redmond said.

Valaika, who was wearing a splint on his left forearm Wednesday, said the Marlins are letting him stay on the West Coast trip. He was looking forward to playing in Los Angeles later this week. He's from the area and had family and friends lined up to see his first trip back home in the majors.

"I was out there on the field last night and he came off the field and he goes, ‘Sorry, Red.’ I was like, ‘Sorry, man? You’re out there playing your ass off trying to make a play.’ It’s just unfortunate," Redmond said. "You feel bad for these guys because this is an opportunity he’s been waiting for forever and some fluke play happens like that and cuts it short. I was very happy with his effort and what he was doing out there. Hopefully he gets back and healthy and we get him going again.”

> Right-hander Alex Sanabia admitted Wednesday he probably would have kept pitching through the stiffness in his groin had it not been for veteran catcher Miguel Olivo, who insisted he get it checked out. With the Marlins having a day off Thursday and another on Monday Redmond said the team is considering going with a four-man rotation and skipping Sanabia's next start to give him time off. That's a decision, though, Redmond said the team hadn't finalized yet.

"It was smart that he came out when he did and probably prevented a long-term thing,” Redmond said. "As much as we can overcome the position player injuries, the pitching would probably be even more devastating.”

> Lost in last night's 5-1 loss and mess of injuries was a five-hit performance by the team's No. 2 prospect Christian Yelich, who doubled twice and homered in a loss. How soon could the Marlins see Yelich?

“That’s probably a better question for Larry [Beinfest], but obviously we like those guy a lot and they’re going to be a part of the future. As to when they arrive, I’m not sure. That’s probably a better question for Larry," Redmond said. "It depends probably on the health of our outfield and how those guys stay together. If another guy goes down, you see how it’s going. We’re running out of bodies. These guys would be next in line.

“He’s doing well. He’s going to be here. It’s just a matter of when.”

WEDNESDAY'S LINEUPS

> Marlins (10-24): 1. Juan Pierre LF, 2. Adeiny Hechavarria SS, 3. Placido Polanco 3B, 4. Marcell Ozuna RF, 5. Justin Ruggiano CF, 6. Greg Dobbs 1B, 7. Derek Dietrich 2B, 8. Miguel Olivo C, 9. Ricky Nolasco RHP.

> Padres (15-18): 1. Everth Cabrera SS, 2. Will Venable RF, 3. Chase Headley 3B, 4. Carlos Quentin LF, 5. Yonder Alonso 1B, 6. Jedd Gyorko 2B, 7. Nick Hundley C, 8. Alexi Amarista CF, 9. Jason Marquis RHP.

Green happy to be back; Hechavarria moves into leadoff spot for a night

SAN DIEGO -- Nick Green knows life as a utility infielder can be wacky, filled with trips up and down from the minors and to the free agency wire.

So what he endured this past week -- getting designated for assignment last Thursday because shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria was returning from the disabled list, clearing waivers, and then returning to the Marlins Tuesday because second baseman Donovan Solano was heading to the DL -- wasn't anything he hasn't seen before.

"I had something similar happen to me when I was in New York [back in 2006]," Green recalled Tuesday in the Marlins clubhouse. "First [Derek] Jeter was hurt and I was up for a week. A few days later [Miguel] Cairo got hurt. When he came back -- literally the same day -- [Robinson] Cano got hurt. So I ended up staying up. It wasn't that the whole team was going down, but my position was. So it helped me stay up with the team. That's as much as I've seen as far as that."

What has caught Green by surprise is how many players the Marlins have sent to the 60-day disabled list. Tuesday it was right-hander Henderson Alvarez who was shipped there to make room on the 40-man roster after he recently took a step back with his rehab from shoulder tightness. Manager Mike Redmond said it's unlikely Henderson would have been ready anyway by the All-Star Break.

"It's really crazy to see how many guys are on the DL," Green said. "What we have [five] guys on the 60-day [and another five on the 15]? When all those guys come back it's going to be interesting [to see what happens]."

Green said what was unusual about being sent designated this time was that he actually was hitting pretty well (.321, 1 HR, 3 RBI in 8 games).

"Most of the times I've been sent down before I haven't done real well so you always understand that," he said. "I guess it was more of a numbers game than anything else [this time]. I can't complain about it. You can be disappointed, but I'm not going to bitch to anybody it."

HECHAVARRIA TO HIT LEADOFF

Hechavarria, whose diving grab Monday ranked sixth in the ESPN Top 10 SportsCenter plays of the day, will be batting leadoff Tuesday night for the first time in his big league career as Redmond gives Juan Pierre a night off against Padres left-hander Eric Stults.

Hechavarria, who is hitting .235 with a double, two triples and a home run since his return from the DL, said he hit lead-off plenty of times in his minor league career and back home in Cuba. So it isn't a big deal to him.

"He's been swinging the bat well. I've liked his at-bats," Redmond said. "We talked in spring training about him being a top of the order guy. It's a great situation. JP has the night off. Let's get [Hechavarria] out there at the top of the order. One thing hitting him eight -- we don't really get to see his speed. And he can really run. Hopefully he'll get on base tonight, run around and have some fun."

> Redmond said his plan is to give catcher Rob Brantly a couple days off to rest his sliced right index finger, which hasn't been healing right. Brantly likely won't start again until Friday, but will be available for pinch-hitting Redmond said.

"It's still been pretty tender," Redmond said."I can tell on his throws. I want to get that thing healed up."

> Expect third baseman Placido Polanco to get the day off Wednesday. Playing short-handed of late Redmond said he's been meaning to get Polanco a day off but just hasn't been able to.

TUESDAY'S LINEUP

> Marlins (10-23): 1. Adeiny Hechavarria SS, 2. Matt Diaz LF, 3. Placido Polanco 3B, 4. Justin Ruggiano CF, 5. Marcell Ozuna RF, 6. Greg Dobbs 1B, 7. Miguel Olivo C, 8. Chris Valaika 2B, 9. Alex Sanabia RHP.

> Padres (14-18): 1. Everth Cabrera SS, 2. Chris Denorfia LF, 3. Chase Headley 3B, 4. Yonder Alonso 1B, 5. Jedd Gyorko 2B, 6. Will Venable RF, 7. Nick Hundley C, 8. Alexi Amarista CF, 9. Eric Stults LHP.