Marlins Notes - June 2011

[Orioles]

6/30

• PLAYER NEWS
  
  In what has become a head-scratchingly common occurrence in south Florida, the Marlins GM dealt for yet another player previously released by the team. This time it was RHP Dustin McGowan returning to Miami from division rival Philadelphia in exchange for RHP Javy Guerra and power-hitting OF prospect Marcell Ozuna. Despite hopes that he'd become a fixture in the Marlins' rotation over the past few years, the Fish threw McGowan back after he had rotator cuff surgery - an injury he suffered while rehabbing from July 2008 shoulder surgery. 0.0 IP in 2 years seemed like about enough at the time. McGowan was initially dropped for LHP Brett Oberholtzer, who was also subsequently dropped for a progression of players including since re-signed SS prospect Junior Lake. McGowan begins a rehab assignment this weekend, and could figure into the Marlins rotation mix in the 2nd half of the season. After all that time off, Toronto must have seen enough to make them believe he can return to starting effectively in short order, or they'd have just let him work his way back as a RP which seems like the usual way for pitchers who've been out for a long stretch with one or more surgeries. It'll be interesting to see how agressively the Jays are getting him back on the bump in Toronto.
  

  Dustin McGowan is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Saturday with Single-A Dunedin.
  McGowan will throw only two innings in his rehab debut but should progress quickly to normal
  starter-length outings. He hasn't appeared in a major league game since 2008 due to shoulder
  problems and recently began experiencing forearm stiffness. The hope is that all those injury
  problems are now behind him.

• PROSPECT CHATTER
  

  Jarrett Parker, OF, Giants (Hi A San Jose): 1-for-2, 2B, R, RBI, 2 BB; 2-for-4, HR (7), R, RBI, K.
  2010 second-round pick has tools and has shown continuous improvement this year; hitting
  .315/.417/.500 in June.
  
  Jason McEachern, RHP, Rays (Short-season Hudson Valley): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K.
  Excellent sleeper is 20-year-old 2008 draftee with decent fastball, good breaking ball and
  fantastic command; 16.2 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 19 K in three starts.

  Righthander Matt Harvey started and allowed two runs over six innings. After the game he
  learned that a second-half promotion to Double-A awaits. Harvey finished second in the FSL's
  ERA race (2.37) but led the way with 92 strikeouts and tied for the lead with eight wins.
  
  After being bothered by injuries, most recently a knee infection, over the first couple months
  of the season, Royals outfielder Wil Myers might be hitting his stride. The 20-year-old went
  3-for-4 with two doubles last night for Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Myers had just five
  extra-base hits in his first 27 games but has four in his last four games, including a homer.
  He's improved to .282/.346/.410 in 117 at-bats for the year.

• RUMOR MILL
  
  The Marlins continue to shop DH/1B David Ortiz, with a deal becoming more and more likely as Big Papi reasserts himself as one of MLB's (and IBC's) most dangerous LH power bats. While he still managed solid season statistics last year (32 HR, .899 OPS), Ortiz had become prone over the past few seasons to coming out of the gate ice-cold with consecutive Aprils so poor as to have his viability as a full-time DH questioned both times until he'd explode for 10 HR in May or June and put the questions to rest by leading the AL in multiple offensive categories the rest of the season. Supposedly, some changes to his off-season regimen and tinkering with his swing have helped Papi come out firing on all cylinders, but ever since Manny Ramirez was shipped out a few years ago, Ortiz has himself not-so-subtly hinted that he sees far fewer hittable pitches and typically gets the toughest RP matchup. Enter Adrian Gonzalez and... boom the old Ortiz seems to be back. As Ortiz returns to the upper echelon of LH power bats in both MLB and IBC (he ranks in the top 5 in the NL in HR, RBI + XBH) the Marlins are more and more likely to find a willing trade partner in the AL who can plug him in to anchor their lineup from the DH spot for the next few seasons.
  
  David Ortiz 2011 MLB - 275 AB, 20 2B, 17 HR, 35 K, 35 BB, .305/.385/.571, 0.956 OPS
• INJURY UPDATES
  
  After a relatively healthy start to the season, the Fish got hit with the injury bug in June, losing at least one key contributor for the rest of 2011:
  
  DL Jorge De La Rosa LHP, elbow surgery - out for season
  DL Carl Crawford LF, hamstring - early July
  DL Denard Span CF, concussion - early July
  DL Doug Slaten LHP, elbow - July