Florida Marlins

And just like that, our unofficial vow of silence (did we not tell you about that? Oops...) is broken:"He looked good," [manager Mike] Redmond said, "like he was feeling all right. I didn’t ask him afterwards; I'm just going off the results. He was hitting them out. It's another encouraging sign that he's a little closer to being back on the field."It's been nice to see Marcell Ozuna shine in his place (.303/.337/.443 in 84 plate appearances), but he is no Giancarlo Stanton. (Plus there is his unsustainable .383 BABIP and 4.8% walk rate, but we'll focus on Ozuna's positives for now). If we're lucky Stanton's return is near, and Ozuna's emergence encourages Redmond to bench Juan Pierre (who has stolen bases but has an abysmal .288 OBP). Fun fact: JP's WAR is exactly 0.0 right now - he has become a quad-A replacement level player. This isn't surprising, but still sad, to me at least.

The Marlins are a bad hitting team, Giancarlo Stanton is a good hitting player. So naturally, the Miami Marlins cannot wait to get them back into their lineup. On Wednesday, Giancarlo came one step closer to returning after taking BP and experiencing no pain. No return date is set, but baseball activities have started and everyone knows the Marlins need all the help they can get. The Miami Marlins lineup currently boasts a -1.0 FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement (fWAR) and has scored only 125 runs through 47 games, totals that are good for last in the league. So, on second thought, I probably should not say the Miami Marlins lineup is "boasting" anything. As addressed in this piece by Grant Brisbee of Baseball Nation, the Miami Marlins are on pace to have the 10th worst OPS in major league history with .601, but, to quote, "It's never a good idea to bet on historically bad". This statement basically dismisses the idea that the Miami Marlins are the worst offensive team in major league history. The way I see it, the Marlins can only get better. For nearly half of the season the Miami Marlins have been without their best hitter, Giancarlo Stanton who was placed on the DL April 30th for a hamstring strain. As I'm sure many of you recall, Giancarlo was not having the best go of things at the plate.Before his injury he hit a mere .227/.341/.387 slash with a .322 wOBA in April, but that is not the story of Giancarlo Stanton. The story of Giancarlo Stanton is that of 30-plus home run seasons and 5.7 fWAR in 2012, near-MVP type performance. When the Miami Marlins get him back into the lineup they will have gotten their big difference maker. The "big difference" that he makes will not be between loser and winner, or playoffs and golfing. The difference he makes will be between being the worst and being the near-worst. With the worst being the Houston Astros and their total rebuild, and the near-worst being...well...your Miami Marlins.

(Yahoo)(ESPN)(CBSSports)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)

May 21, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Delmon Young (3) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports The Miami Marlins were shutout for the ninth time in the 2013 season on a 3-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.  Cliff Lee was brilliant on the mound for the Phils tossing a complete game and allowing only 3 Marlins hits on the night.   Not only could the Marlins muster just 3 singles, 2 of those never left the infield. Just to make matters worse, Marlins starter Kevin Slowey left after the fifth inning due to a back injury.  Slowey had limited the Phils to only one run to that point, scattering six hits and walking none while recording six strikeouts.  After having surrendered 11 earned runs in his two previous starts, it appeared that Slowey was returning to the form he had displayed earlier in the season before the injury struck. On offense the Marlins only threat occurred in the second inning when they loaded the bases on a single by Marcell Ozuna followed by a walk and hit by pitch.  That is as far as it went though with Lee inducing the next hitter, Nick Green, to ground into a double play and then getting a pop out to end the inning.   The double play was the Marlins’ 47th hit into on the season which ranks them second in the National League behind only the Arizona Diamondbacks. Derek Dietrich and Miguel Olivo had the other two Marlins hits on the night.  The Marlins now have a team batting average of .222 on the season and an OPS of .599.  That .599 OPS would rank in the top 10 of all time worst OPS by a team if the season ended today. Cliff Lee improved his record to 5-2 while Slowey dropped to 1-5 on the season. Up Next: The Marlins will travel to Chicago for an interleague series with the White Sox this weekend.  The Friday starter will be Tom Koehler (0-2) for the Fish and John Danks (0-0) making his season debut for the White Sox.

For those of you who haven’t caught it yet, Fox Sports Florida’s second installment of “Inside the Marlins” is worth a look. Producer and host Frank Forte explores Cuban baseball, from its roots to some of the integral Cuban figures in Marlins’ history.

Marlins right-hander Kevin Slowey exits start with left lat strain | marlins.com: NewsAfter five impressive innings on Wednesday night, Kevin Slowey took the mound to warm up for the sixth. But before throwing a pitch, Marlins manager Mike Redmond and assistant trainer Mike Kozak were called to check on the 29-year-old righty. The club announced he has a left lat strain, and will be re-evaluated Thursday. Stanton takes BP on field, feels no discomfort | marlins.com: News Progress is being made on Giancarlo Stanton's road to recovery. The Marlins slugger on Wednesday afternoon took batting practice on the field. He estimated about 50 swings, and felt no discomfort. Logan Morrison could be back with Miami Marlins by June 1 | www.palmbeachpost.com Logan Morrison’s minor-league rehab assignment will move to Double-A Jacksonville on Monday and he could rejoin the Marlins as early as the end of next week. Marlins or Astros: Who's worse? - Baseball Nation"Back in the early off-season, when the discerning baseball fan wanted to laugh at a team with dismal prospects, he or she would pick on the Houston Astros...Then the Marlins happened." Around the League Is Patrick Corbin Arizona's New Ace? - Beyond the Box ScorePatrick Corbin is providing to be more than a stopgap for the arrival of Tyler Skaggs or Daniel Hudson's return from surgery and outperforming the rest of the staff in Arizona, let alone most of the MLB. What's leading to his newfound dominance? Andre Ethier is Now Eminently Available | FanGraphs BaseballDespite the Dodgers signing him to a contract worth $85 million it now appears that Andre Ethier is now available. Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays - May 22, 2013 | MLB.com TOR Recap The Blue Jays are one of the most underwhelming teams to this point in the 2013 season but tonight they are winners. Jose Bautista had a 4-for-4 night that included two homers and four RBIs against the Rays. One of his homers tied the game in the ninth, while his RBI in the 10th sent the Blue Jays out of the dugout and on to the field in celebration. Great Debates: Do Hot Streaks Exist? - Athletics Nation Can a player truly be "in the zone"? Or are hot streaks just random statistical variation? Athletics Nation examines the arguments of two prominent men in the baseball field: Brandon McCarthy and Keith Law. At Fish Stripes Miami Marlins Daily Minor League Report: May 21 - Fish StripesKevin Mattison homered and doubled off one of Oakland's top prospects, Sonny Gray. Adam Conley struck out only one batter in six innings pitched, but kept Jacksonville competitive enough to win. Miami Marlins oust Steve Cishek as sole closer, turn to closer-by-committee - Fish Stripes The Miami Marlins will now use Steve Cishek in a closer-by-committee role with Mike Dunn and Chad Qualls after the sidearming righty's early struggles. Miami Marlins news: Alex Sanabia spitball saga continues - Fish Stripes The news regarding the Alex Sanabia spitball incident continues to grow, with information regarding whether the umpires caught anything during the game. Miami Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Cliff Lee, Phillies shut out Fish 3-0 - Fish StripesCliff Lee puts up a masterful performance for the Philadelphia Phillies against the pitiful Miami Marlins lineup as the Fish are shut out 3-0.

September 25, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Miami Marlins center fielder Gorkys Hernandez (2) allows a Atlanta Braves right fielder Jason Heyward (not pictured) triple by missing a leaping catch in the sixth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports Down on the Farm Report for the Miami Marlins: May 19th: The Suns had the day off and the Hammerheads were blown out by a talented Cubs team, but the Zephyrs and Grasshoppers were able to pick up huge wins. Triple-A:New Orleans Zephyrs (20-24) @ Sacramento River Cats  (25-21) Win 2-0 Gorkys Hernandez, RF: 2-for-3, 2B (6), 2 R Kevin Mattison, CF: 2-for-3, 2B (5), SO A.J. Battisto, SP: 5.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 SO Chris Hatcher, RP: 1.0 IP, H, BB, SV (13) The Zephyrs collected three doubles in this game and were able to muster enough offense to get Battisto the win. 2-0. Battisto pitched five solid shutout innings before New Orleans’ bullpen came in and tossed another four shutout innings. Combined, the team allowed just six hits in the game. Chris Hatcher collected his 13th save of the season and lowered his season ERA to 3.70. Look for him to have a shot to make an impact on the Marlins later in the season. Double-A: Jacksonville Suns (25-17)  No Scheduled Game High Class A: Jupiter Hammerheads (24-21) vs. Daytona Cubs (23-21) Loss 8-4 Logan Morrison, 1B: 1-for-5, RBI Austin Nola, SS: 2-for-3, 2B ( 6), 3B (2), RBI, R Ryan Rieger, RF: 2-for-4, 3B (1), 2 SO Jake Esch, SP: 2.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO Josh Hodges, RP: 1.0 IP, H, BB Logan Morrison continues his rehab in Jupiter, he is hitting just 3-for-14 (.231) in his first three games. Expect LoMo to take a couple of more games to find his groove against pitchers not in extended spring training and that have been pitching all season. Austin Nola had a huge game for the Hammerheads, picking up a double and triple, as well as scoring a run. Jake Esch had a rough start against a talented lineup, but expect him to have a few opportunities to bounce back. With the return of Andrew Heaney, it seems like the Hammerheads have moved Josh Hodges to the bullpen. Hodges pitched well in the rotation for the most part, but the organization sees him as a reliever longterm. Low Class A: Greensboro Grasshoppers (18-26) vs. Hagerstown Suns (26-16) Win 6-2 Jesus Solorzano, RF: 2-for-3, 2B (9), RBI, BB, SO Viosergy Rosa, DH: 1-for-3, 2B (8), RBI, BB, SO Michel Main, CF: 2-for-5, HR (1), 2 RBI Ramon Del Orbe, SP: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, SO Jheyson Manzueta, RP: 3.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 SO Big days for Soloranzo and Rosa, as they collect an RBI and double each in the Grasshoppers 18th win of the season. The Grasshoppers offense was able to score 6 runs on 7 hits. Main hit his first home run of the season and drove in two runs. He raised his batting average all the way up to 0.77 with his one hit.

Triple-A: New Orleans ZephyrsW 2-0 @ Sacramento River Cats Full Box Score Jake Smolinski, LF: 2-for-4Gorkys Hernandez, RF: 2-for-3, 2B, SB (11) A.J. Battisto, SP: 5.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 KChris Hatcher, RP: 1.0 IP, H, BB, 0 K, SV (13) Thanks to A.J. Battisto and three relievers, New Orleans shutout Michael Choice, Michael Taylor, Grant Green and the rest of the Sacramento offense. Jake Smolinski had another nice day at the plate, while Gorkys Hernandez stole his 11th base of the season. Double-A: Jacksonville SunsNo game scheduled High Class A: Jupiter HammerheadsL 4-8 vs. Daytona Cubs Full Box Score Austin Nola, SS: 2-for-3, 2B, 3B, BB, RBIBrent Keys, LF: 0-for-2, 3 BBAustin Barnes, C: 2-for-5 Jake Esch, SP: 2.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 KJared Rogers, RP: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB Facing Javier Baez and Jorge Soler, among others, Jupiter failed to contain the Daytona offense. Austin Nola had a monster day at the plate, while others had no problem getting on base for Jupiter, but the Hammerheads stranded ten runners on-base. Low Class A: Greensboro GrasshoppersW 6-2 @ Hagerstown Suns Full Box Score Jesus Solorzano, RF: 2-for-3, 2B, BBMichael Main, CF: 1-for-5, HR (1), 2 RBI Ramon Del Orbe, SP: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, K Greensboro exploded with a five-run third inning to defeat Hagerstown yesterday. Jesus Solorzano, who seems to be in a bit of a slump over the last two weeks, had two hard hit balls that both fell for hits. Greensboro improves to 18-26 with the win.

May 18, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins relief pitcher Steve Cishek (31) throws during the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports Manager Mike Redmond has decided he has seen enough of the early struggles of Steve Cishek in the closer role and has decided to oust Cishek as the primary closer, for now. The team will turn to a closer-by-committee for the time being.\n In 18 2/3 innings in 2013, Cishek owns a 4.91 ERA and 4.29 FIP. He has struggled immensely against lefties, as they own a. 325/.438/.564 (.410 wOBA) line against him in 48 at bats. Right handed side-armed pitchers generally struggle against lefties, as the ball does not have quite the movement they need. The equalizer for Cishek would be a changeup, which he could work on improving in lower leverage situations. Mike Dunn and Chad Qualls will join Cishek in a three man committee in the closer role. Dunn has been impressive in 2013, as he has lowered his walk rates substantially. Dunn has a 1.74 ERA and a 3.03 FIP. Dunn, a left handed pitcher, gets lefties and righties out at a decent clip and is a good closer candidate if he can keep his walks down. Qualls has quietly been throwing well in 2013, as he owns a 3.63 ERA and 3.61 FIP. Last season, between three teams, Qualls pitched to a 5.30 ERA and 4.60 FIP. His career numbers sit closer to his numbers from last season than this, so regression could be on the way for Qualls going forward. Logan Morrison could be back with Miami Marlins by June 1 | Palm Beach Post Logan Morrison’s minor-league rehab assignment will move to Double-A Jacksonville on Monday and he could rejoin the Marlins as early as the end of next week. Manager Mike Redmond said on Wednesday that Morrison will play four more games — three at first base and one as the designated hitter — at Single-A Jupiter before making the trip to northern Florida. Miami Marlins’ injured Giancarlo Stanton takes live batting practice | Miami Herald When Marlins manager Mike Redmond finished his injury update before batting practice Tuesday, he smiled. “We’re starting to move some dirt,” Redmond said. “That feels good.” Metrics say Ruggiano among top defensive center fielders | Sun-Sentinel It doesn’t take fancy formulas to determine Justin Ruggiano plays a pretty good center field. The metrics in Ruggiano’s case confirm what the eyes see. Ruggiano entered Wednesday’s series final against the Phillies leading the Marlins with seven homers and 19 RBI. No less important has been his contribution with the glove. Ruggiano according to several metrics is among the National League’s best. Marlins or Astros: Who’s worse? | Baseball Nation Back in the early off-season, when the discerning baseball fan wanted to laugh at a team with dismal prospects, he or she would pick on the Houston Astros. Sure, the organization has hired smart people from all around the baseball universe, and their future seems bright. But in the short term, it looked like the Astros were going to have a tough time. Almost certainly the toughest time in baseball. 2013 MLB Draft: Mock drafts from around the Internet | Fishstripes Fish Stripes aspires to be a sophisticated baseball blog. You may have noticed that the Game Threads here don’t receive thousands of posts like on other SB Nation sites, and this is by design. The content here is for elite, high-minded folks. But once in a while, I feel like throwing a bone to the common rabble. What better way exists accomplish this than writing about mock drafts? Here at Marlin Maniac: Down On The Farm Miami Marlins Daily Report: May 21st Jordan Smith blew a 3-2 Zephyrs lead in the eight inning and caused the game to go extra innings. Luckily, recent signee Velazquez picked up the game winning single to drive in Gorkys Hernandez to put New Orleans up 4-3 for good. Chris Hatcher got the ball in the ninth and made things interesting by allowing two hits.

The Marlins played a baseball game on Wednesday evening against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. They lost said baseball game 3-0, managing just three hits off wealthy person Cliff Lee in the process. I will now attempt to summarize this type of game that has been summarized quite a few times already this season. Donuts For Everyone Hey, have I made a donuts/shutout reference in a Fish Cap this season? I have? SEVEN BILLION OF THEM? Well, I'm gonna have to get some new material or maybe the Marlins can start managing to score runs on the days I'm responsible for the Fish Cap. Why do they not score any runs on the day I'm supposed to write a review of the game? Am I cursed? Do I ask too many questions? The Marlins got three hits in this game. The first was a single. The second was a single. The third was released as a B-side on vinyl. Frank Forte eats around Marlins Park Fish Stripes breaks ground with a cutting-edge bromatological analysis of how stadium food affected the on-field performance of the Miami Marlins. Fun Facts Adeiny Hechavarria hit leadoff for the Fish. Entering the game, he had an OBP of .246. His 0-for-4 performance on Wednesday will drop that number. Hechavarria should probably not be the leadoff hitter in a major league order. He's arguably the worst leadoff hitter the Marlins have had since Billy the Marlin broke character, grabbed a bat and screamed "IT'S MY TIME TO SHINE" before being restrained by ballpark security. Steve Cishek threw an inning of scoreless relief in his first appearance since the Fish decided to go "bullpen-by-committee" which is a sub-concept to the "roster-by-committee" they have implemented this season. Slow(ey) and Steady Doesn't Win the Race Kevin Slowey threw six innings, allowing just one run and striking out six Phillies. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough. Kevin Slowey is having a pretty good season. The Marlins took a flyer on him over the winter and so far it's paying off. It's very likely that he's a pitcher who can help a contender for the stretch run, although don't expect the Fish to get anything of real value in return for him. Looking Ahead The Fish have an off day on Thursday before starting a three-game series with the White Sox in Chicago on Friday. I don't have a joke about Chicago or the upcoming series so feel free to make one in the comments if you'd like. Source: FanGraphs