The Marlins have designed right-hander John Maine for assignment, and recalled right-hander Tom Koehler from Triple-A New Orleans.

Maine, who made the club as a non-roster invitee, made four relief appearances, posting a 12.27 ERA in 7 1/3 innings.

The 31-year-old threw two innings in Thursday’s 11-1 loss at Cincinnati, allowing six runs on four hits in two innings with five walks and three strikeouts.

Maine broke in with the Orioles in 2004, and from 2006-10, he pitched for the Mets before experiencing shoulder problems.

Koehler made three starts for New Orleans, and in 17 innings he has a 1.06 ERA with 14 strikeouts and 10 walks.

– Joe Frisaro

After missing six games due to a bruised left shoulder, Giancarlo Stanton was back in the Marlins’ lineup, anchoring the No. 3 spot in the order.

The Marlins open a four-game set with the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

The game features two exciting pitching prospects. Jose Fernandez makes his third start for the Marlins, while the Reds will be going with lefty Tony Cingrani.

Chris Valaika will be starting at shortstop in place of Adeiny Hechavarria, who was placed on the 15-day DL with a bruised right elbow.

MARLINS

1) Coghlan, LF
2) Valaika, SS
3) Stanton, RF
4) Polanco, 3B
5) Dobbs, 1B
6) Ruggiano, CF
7) Brantly, C
8) Solano, 2B
9) Fernandez, P

– Joe Frisaro

MIAMI — Injuries continue to pile up for the Marlins.

The club now will be without shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria for at least a couple of weeks. On Thursday, the 24-year-old was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow contusion.

Miami has selected the contract of infielder Nick Green from Triple-A New Orleans. To make 40-man roster space for Green, Nathan Eovaldi was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

Eovaldi, initially projected to be the No. 2 starter, is out with right shoulder inflammation.

The Marlins are set to open a four-game series at Cincinnati on Thursday. Hechavarria was examined by team doctors in Miami, and tests revealed the elbow bruise.

– Joe Frisaro

MIAMI — Giancarlo Stanton is ready to return to the Marlins lineup. But before he actually does, he will get one more day to rest his bruised left shoulder.

Manager Mike Redmond said on Wednesday afternoon that Stanton is scheduled to be back in the lineup on Thursday for the series opener at the Reds.

“Stanton hit today, and he said things felt good,” Redmond said. “He should be good to go for tomorrow. That’s a good sign, obviously. We all know how important he is to this lineup. That’s good news. He felt better today.”

While Stanton is set to come back to the lineup, the Marlins had yet another starter scratched on Wednesday. Shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, who belted a key three-run homer in Tuesday’s 8-2 win, was removed from the lineup due to a sore right elbow. Chris Valaika started at shortstop in his place.

Counting Wednesday’s series finale with the Nationals at Marlins Park, Stanton will have missed six straight games.

The All-Star tweaked his shoulder while making a diving catch on April 6 at the Mets. He played through with discomfort, before being scratched from the lineup on April 12.

In nine games, Stanton is batting .167 with no home runs or RBIs. Still, he is one of the most feared hitters in the game, and he is the focal point of Miami’s lineup.

The Marlins on Wednesday reinstated Joe Mahoney off the 15-day disabled list, where he was nursing an intercostal strain.

Also on Wednesday, Henderson Alvarez threw 35 pitches off the mound. Alvarez is on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. He is next scheduled to throw about 50 pitches off the mound on Saturday, and a simulated game could follow.

Alvarez may be ready to join the rotation either in late April or early May.

“He’s starting his progression, and he’s feeling good,” Redmond said. “That’s the most important thing.”

– Joe Frisaro

MIAMI — Not that the Marlins have done much hitting period, but they’ve actually been a little better against left-handed pitching.

They will put that to the test on Wednesday night, when they face the Nationals and southpaw Ross Detwiler at Marlins Park.

For the year, the Marlins are batting .220 while facing lefties, compared to a .203 average against right-handers.

The problem is Detwiler has been simply dominanting, posting a 0.69 ERA.

The Marlins wrap up their nine-game homestand on Wednesday, and with a win, they’d take their first series of the season.

Miami is going with a number of right-handed hitters, including Austin Kearns getting the start in right field, and Miguel Olivo catching.

Ricky Nolasco, the franchise’s all-time wins leader with 76, is seeking his first victory.

MARLINS

1) Pierre, LF
2) Solano, 2B
3) Polanco, 3B
4) Ruggiano, CF
5) Dobbs, 1B
6) Kearns, RF
7) Olivo, C
8) Valaika, SS
9) Nolasco, P

– Joe Frisaro

MIAMI — Willing to try just about anything to wake up a slumbering offense, the Marlins on Tuesday afternoon brought out the real heavy lumber.

During early batting practice, Justin Ruggiano created a moment of levity for a team in need of something to smile about.

So as a handful of players were taking their rounds hitting, Ruggiano lugged out an oversized bat with the Marlins’ logo on it.

When you’re last in the league in runs scored, and hadn’t generated much of anything at the plate, you try just about anything. Mostly, the players got a good laugh. Giancarlo Stanton, the club’s towering right fielder, had some fun with the prop.

No one actually took a swing with the bat, but its presence made an impact, even if it only lightened the mood.

“I’m afraid someone might get hurt swinging that thing,” manager Mike Redmond said. “We can’t afford any more injurires.”

As fate would have it, the Marlins went out and defeated the Nationals, 8-2, scoring a season-high run total.

After the game, Redmond noted that bat would be traveling with the team on its road trip, which begins on Thursday at Cincinnati.

Asked about getting the bat through security, Redmond noted, “It could be on the seat next to me on the plane.”

Before the game, Redmond quipped: “That thing is heavy. It’s like my bat felt like at the end of my career.”

Where did the bat come from?

“I have no idea,” Redmond said. “Those things just appear. Maybe it’s someone telling us something, we need bigger bats.”

Actually, there is a story about how the bat mysteriously arrived. It turns out it was more a coincidence. And the bat belongs to Cullen McRae, the Marlins’ video coordinator.

McRae’s friend, Robin Jennings, owns a company called Big Ash Bats. Jennings was a college teammate of McRae, and he spent some time in the big leagues with the Cubs and the Reds.

The 5-foot bat was sent as a birthday gift for McRae.

“It just so happened, when I opened it up, Ruggiano was in my office,” McRae said. “When I opened it up, he grabbed it and ran out on the field with it. It’s real wood.

“It’s a complete coincidence. The box came and Ruggiano was looking at video when I opened the box. And that day we scored a bunch of runs.”

– Joe Frisaro

MIAMI — Some reason for optimism after Giancarlo Stanton took early batting practice on Tuesday afternoon.

The Marlins slugger tested his bruised left shoulder, and he didn’t experience any discomfort.

“He took batting practice, and we’re just going to wait and see the way it responds,” manager Mike Redmond said. “He hasn’t done anything in five days. We’ll see how it feels throughout the day, and tomorrow, and we’ll go from there.”

Stanton last took BP on Friday, but he was scratched after experiencing some discomfort. An MRI taken on Saturday revealed a bruise, and he has felt a pinch when raising his arm. But on Tuesday, he was considerably better, and tested the shoulder.

Still, he isn’t ready to return. The team will see how the shoulder feels on Wednesday.

“He said it felt good, it felt a lot better,” Redmond said. “That’s encouraging. We’ll have to wait and see. I’m hoping that he shows up tomorrow and it feels even better. That will be a real encouraging sign.”

Also on Tuesday, Austin Kearns was back with the team. Kearns did some throwing and catching, but he hasn’t been cleared to resume baseball activities.

Kearns was hospitalized overnight on Sunday due to an irregular heartbeat.

First baseman Joe Mahoney, on the DL with a strained intercostal, continues his rehab assignment with Class A Jupiter. The left-handed hitting first baseman could be close to returning.

There also is some encouragement at the Minor League level. Christian Yelich was used as the designated hitter in an extended spring game in Jupiter. Yelich went hitless in four at-bats. He has been out with a left heel bruise.

Outfielders Jake Marisnick (broken left hand) and Marcell Ozuna (broken left wrist) have been playing in extended spring games, but they are now expected to join Class A Jupiter. Both are expected to join Double-A Jacksonville in a few days when the Suns return from their road trip.

Right-hander Jacob Turner, in Triple-A, was struck on the leg by a comeback drive in his last start. He was taken out of the game. The right-hander still may make his next scheduled start. If not, he isn’t expected to miss more than one start.

– Joe Frisaro

MIAMI — Looking to try anything to get the offense moving, Marlins manager Mike Redmond made a switch at the top of the order.

On Tuesday night, Chris Coghlan moved into the leadoff spot, with Juan Pierre dropping to second in the lineup.

Coghlan last batted leadoff on June 15, 2011 in the first game of a day/night doubleheader at Philadelphia.

It’s the first time this season someone other than Pierre led off for Miami, which is off to its second worst start in franchise history.

The Marlins are hoping to even their three-game series with the Nationals at Marlins Park.

In Monday’s 10-3 loss, Coghlan had his first multi-hit game since going 2-for-4 on June 3, 2012 at Philadelphia. Also in the game, Coghlan had two assists from the outfield. It’s the 20th time in club history an outfielder has had at least two assists in a game. Giancarlo Stanton did it last, on Sept. 24, 2010. The franchise record is three, done twice — Joe Orsulak (Sept. 7, 1996 against Montreal) and Mark Kotsay achieved the feat on July 16, 2000 at Baltimore.

MARLINS

1) Coghlan, RF
2) Pierre, LF
3) Polanco, 3B
4) Dobbs, 1B
5) Ruggiano, CF
6) Brantly, C
7) Hechavarria, SS
8) Solano, 2B
9) Sanabia, P

– Joe Frisaro

MIAMI — A link to Jackie Robinson’s days with the Brooklyn Dodgers was at Marlins Park on Monday night.

Norman Berman, a West Palm Beach resident and Brooklyn native, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Marlins faced the Nationals.

Berman, who turns 85 on April 30, was 19-years-old when he joined the Dodgers as their ball boy in 1947, the year Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier.

When he learned he was invited to throw out the first pitch, Berman began practicing. Although he walks with the assistance of a cane, he won’t be using any support to make his pregame toss.

Growing up in Brooklyn, Berman was an aspiring ballplayer, an undersized second baseman who actually was once part of the Dodgers system. Because of his slender size, he was considered too small.

Berman made $7 a game being the ball boy. He’d sit on a chair a few feet away from the Dodgers dugout at Ebbets Field.

– Joe Frisaro

MIAMI — Giancarlo Stanton still feels discomfort in his left shoulder, so on Monday afternoon the Marlins slugger went back to be examined by the team doctors.

The team did receive good news as Austin Kearns was discharged from University of Miami Hospital, after spending the night to be observed for an irregular heartbeat.

In the short-term, both outfielders will miss at least another couple of days. And the Marlins are weighing whether one or both of them will be placed on the disabled list.

“The good news is, Kearns has been discharged from the hospital,” manager Mike Redmond said. “He’s on his way over [to the ballpark] but he hasn’t been cleared for baseball activities. He’s got a couple of more tests to do tomorrow. He will be here tonight. Definitely, that’s great news that he seems like he’s going to be alright.”

Stanton is missing his fourth straight game due to his sore left shoulder. He was injured while making a diving catch on April 6 at New York.

“Stanton is the same,” Redmond said. “He’s still not able to do any baseball stuff either. He says his shoulder is still sore. We’re playing shorthanded. We can’t play shorthanded for too long. It’s too tough.”

– Joe Frisaro