Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Injuries force Gordon to short
MIAMI — Three injuries to shortstops in four days has turned second baseman Dee Gordon into the Miami Marlins’ starter at his old position.
Adeiny Hechavarria, the Marlins’ top option at short, landed on the 10-day disabled list again Wednesday with a strained left oblique. Hours later, J.T. Riddle, called up Tuesday when Miguel Rojas went on the DL, was scratched from the lineup with a right index finger contusion.
With the Marlins also lacking Rojas, who will have surgery on his fractured right thumb, Gordon slid over to shortstop against the St. Louis Cardinals. Infielder Steve Lombardozzi, selected Wednesday from Triple-A New Orleans, slotted in at second base.
“When stuff keeps happening, it’s like, what is going on? This can’t happen,” Mattingly said Wednesday afternoon, after losing Hechavarria but before scratching Riddle. “Obviously you get upset about it because you know what’s going on behind the scenes trying to fill holes and gaps with guys and try to figure out what’s our options. And then this goes on.”
Wednesday marked Gordon’s first game at shortstop since Sept. 29, 2013, for Mattingly’s Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers moved Gordon to second in part because of his defensive struggles.
Gordon takes ground balls at shortstop a few days per week, Mattingly said. That included Wednesday afternoon before batting practice.
“Obviously he’s played there in the past, so he’s a guy that knows the position,” Mattingly said. “[Infielder coach Perry Hill] always has him taking balls over there a couple of times a week, just to make sure his arm is stretched out and stays strong.”
Hechavarria was injured on a swing in the third inning of the Marlins’ loss Tuesday. Riddle replaced him. It’s not clear when Riddle got hurt.
Mattingly was unsure of the severity of Hechavarria’s injury, but he said Hechavarria reported feeling more pain this time than last month when he strained the same left oblique — though in a different spot— and missed a week and a half.
Mattingly said a bestcase scenario for Hechavarria’s return is a couple of weeks.
Hechavarria was the fifth Marlin in eight days to be sidelined by injury, joining starting pitchers Edinson Volquez and Wei-Yin Chen and infielders Martin Prado and Rojas.
The injuries have ravaged the Marlins’ infield depth in particular. In an effort to bolster that depth, the Marlins recently added veteran utilityman Mike Aviles on a minor league contract.
Aviles, 36, has been working out in extended spring training. He has a history of playing all over the field, especially shortstop.
“We’re trying to get [Aviles] a lot of at-bats in a short time down in extended,” Mattingly said. “That is a place you can get 10, 12 a day and hopefully get your timing going. They say he’s in really good shape, he’s been working out and all that kind of thing. You try to get him ready as fast as possible. He’s an older guy, so he knows how to get himself ready.”
Hechavarria landing on the DL made Riddle the only shortstop on Miami’s active roster. The only other healthy infielder on the 40-man roster is Yefri Perez, who has played mostly center field for Double-A Jacksonville this season.
Lombardozzi, 28, signed a minor league contract with the Marlins in February. He hit .250/.290/.293 in 28 games with New Orleans, playing mostly second base and some third. He played shortstop while in the independent Atlantic League in 2016.
In parts of five major league seasons from 2011-15, Lombardozzi played in 289 games with the Nationals, Orioles and Pirates. He hit .263 with a .294 OBP and .336 slugging percentage.
To make room for Lombardozzi on the 40-man roster, the Marlins designated recently acquired minor league pitcher Joe Gunkel for assignment.
Marlins gaining rotation clarity
Volquez (right thumb blister) and Chen (tired left arm) both threw bullpen sessions Wednesday.
Volquez, who said he felt fine, is on track to start Saturday’s game against the Braves after Jose Urena takes the series opener Friday.
The Marlins are taking a wait-and-see approach with Chen, who will play catch at Marlins Park today, a team off day.
Chen said he threw 23 pitches Wednesday, short of his typical average of 30.
“There’s no specific plan. I didn’t set a date to return,” Chen said through translator Louis Chao.
Mattingly peeved
Nearly 24 hours later, Mattingly was still hot about home-plate umpire Andy Fletcher ejecting him and Christian Yelich Tuesday. After Fletcher called a third strike against Yelich on a pitch seemingly outside the zone, Yelich expressed his disagreement, walked back to the dugout, continued to express that disagreement and got booted.
That brought out Mattingly, who was subsequently ejected for the second night in a row.
“I looked at that ball. It was never close. There’s no chance of that ball getting any part of the plate,” said Mattingly, who also noted he felt he did not deserve to be ejected.