Brad Hand placed on DL

The Marlins have placed struggling southpaw Brad Hand on the 15-day disabled list with what the club is terming a "right ankle sprain." Saturday's move didn't come with any exaggerated winks, but it's not hard to decipher what the Marlins have done. They got Hand out of the bullpen but keep him on the 40-man roster -- at least for now -- without exposing him to waivers. Hand is out of options and would almost certainly be claimed if he were to be designated for assignment, given that he's a lefty who throws in the mid-90s. The Marlins are likely trying to trade him, though the pitcher's 6.38 ERA isn't helping. 

The Marlins pulled the same DL trick with Jorge Julio ("calf strain") a number of years ago. Julio pitched only 9 1/3 innings for the Marlins at the start of the 2007 season, but was such a disaster (0-2 with a 12.54 ERA and 3.107 WHIP). Within days of placing him on the DL, Julio was traded to Colorado for Byung-Hyun Kim.

Replacing Hand in the bullpen is left-hander Dan Jennings, who was called up from Triple A New Orleans. Clearly the Marlins need to work on the bullpen, which has been a trouble spot all season, especially in the middle innings.