May 1st, 2009
Penn sprains right ankle
Hayden Penn slipped coming off the mound in the sixth inning on Friday night, and after a few warmup tosses exited with a right ankle sprain.
The Marlins reliever was shaken up on Mike Fontenot’s single to right field. Coming off the mound and onto the grass, Penn fell to the ground while changing directions. He was examined by trainer Sean Cunningham and manager Fredi Gonzalez.
Penn did take a few warmup tosses, but he pointed to his ankle and he was replaced by Burke Badenhop.
Penn worked one-third of an inning, issuing a walk, single and collecting a strikeout.
– Joe Frisaro
Hit change for Hermida
After further review, Jeremy Hermida has been credited with an RBI single. The reversal was announced on Friday for a play that happened on Tuesday.
In question was a sixth-inning at-bat by Hermida on Tuesday against the Mets at Citi Field. Off reliever Bobby Parnell, Hermida hit a hot smash to third that bounced off the chest of New York’s David Wright.
A run scored on the play, and Wright was charged with an error. At the urging of the Marlins, MLB reviewed the play, and decided to overturn the call at the game.
So Hermida was credited with an RBI single. Wright had an error taken away, and the run Hermida drove in was credited to Mets starter Livan Hernandez. Parnell had a hit added to his pitching line.
– Joe Frisaro
Gregg offers Lindstrom advice
For two years, Kevin Gregg was a veteran presense who offered advice to Matt Lindstrom.
This season, Lindstrom has replaced Gregg as the Marlins closer. Gregg, meanwhile, is pitching for the Cubs. The two had a long conversation at Wrigley Field on Thursday.
“He’s learning on the job now,” Gregg said. “He’s got the reins full time. Obviously, he has the stuff. Now it’s just figuring out how to use his stuff, and bouncing back day-to-day. You’re not going to be perfect out there.”
Lindstrom is 5-for-7 in save chances, but his most disappointing outing came on April 24 against the Phillies. The hard-throwing Lindstrom entered in the ninth inning with Florida ahead 3-0, but he was tagged for seven runs, including a grand slam to Shane Victorino.
“When he gave up those seven runs against Philly, that’s part of the lumps you’ve got to take,” Gregg said before the Marlins faced the Cubs on Friday. “You’ve got to learn what you’re doing, and how to control it.
“That stuff happens quick. One thing, you’ve got to get out of that inning. Secondly, then you’ve got to come back the next day. The game is going to come after you right away. He bounced back, and he’s throwing well.”
While Lindstrom has logged two straight saves since he suffered that loss to the Phillies, he had to wait four days before taking the mound again. That opportunity came on Tuesday in New York, and he closed out the ninth.
“There are times when you don’t want to stew on it, but there are also times that it’s good for you,” Gregg said. “You have to know what that feeling is like, because you don’t want to do that. You don’t want to repeat that ever. But, I think that made him tougher, and realize, ‘Hey, I’ve got to attack the hitters, and go after them.’ That’s what he showed in New York.”
– Joe Frisaro
Proctor throws pen session
A big hurdle was cleared for Scott Proctor on Friday.
The Marlins reliever, who has been on the disabled list all season, threw a pain-free 20-pitch bullpen session at Wrigley Field in the morning, before each club took batting practice.
On the disabled list with right elbow inflammation, Proctor hasn’t thrown in a game since the beginning of Spring Training. The Marlins are hopeful he can be a big addition to the bullpen eventually this season.
“It felt like I hadn’t been on the mound in a month,” joked Proctor, who hadn’t.
Proctor remains several weeks away from being game-ready, but Friday’s mound session was a start.
Pitching coach Mark Wiley was encouraged, saying Proctor threw about five minutes. The right-hander tossed two-seam and four-seam fastballs.
The plan is to get him back on the mound on Monday, assuming there is no discomfort.
– Joe Frisaro
Hanley enters in seventh
Hanley Ramirez wanted to start on Friday, but manager Fredi Gonzalez isn’t ready to chance anything.
So not completely unexpected, the All-Star shortstop was not in the starting lineup for the afternoon contest with the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
However, in the seventh inning, Ramirez entered as part of a double-switch, playing shortstop for the first time since the first inning on Monday.
Leading off the eighth inning, Ramirez batted in the pitcher’s spot, and the first pitch he saw from Carlos Marmol was high and tight for a ball. Ramirez ended up walking. And in the ninth inning, Ramirez came to bat representing the tying run. He was facing former Marlin Kevin Gregg.
Ramirez lifted a fly ball to center for the final out. Yet, he was encouraged to be back, and he expects to start on Saturday.
“I feel good,” said Ramirez, who had his eight-game hitting streak snapped. “I feel I’ve got my timing. I’ll just wait for tomorrow. I’ll be ready to go.”
Ramirez is still a little sore, and he expects to be for a while.
On Friday morning, Ramirez told Gonzalez that he was ready to go.
“That’s a good sign,” Gonzalez said. “That’s the competitor in him. He wants to play. He came out of the cage [Thursday] with only like nine swings, and it was kind of bothering him. So we’re going to make him go through the whole BP and see how he reacts.”
Ramirez had not played since he was struck on the right hand by a pitch from John Maine at Citi Field.
Ramirez on Thursday tested the hand by swinging in the batting cage, which is located inside the wall and under the right-field bleachers at Wrigley Field. Off a tee, Ramirez took a few swings and didn’t feel right. So he stopped.
– Joe Frisaro
The Fish Pond
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