Wei-Yin Chen has setback; no timetable for return

MIAMI — Wei-Yin Chen is having more arm issues, and the Miami Marlins don’t know when he will pitch again.

A week of optimism and progress as Chen deals with a tired left arm and a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow yielded Saturday to a setback during his bullpen session. He had to cut that short, manager Don Mattingly said, after “feeling something again.”

Mattingly described Chen as in a holding pattern. Chen was unavailable to the media Friday before the Marlins’ game against the Atlanta Braves as he waited to see a team doctor.

“At this point, you feel like you really can’t count on him at any time in the near future,” Mattingly said. “Obviously this is turning into more than we thought it was going to be.”

Chen landed on the 10-day disabled list May 5 with what the team called “left arm fatigue.” The team expected Chen to miss only one start. He has missed two and counting.

Mattingly did not expect Chen to get an MRI, since he had one as recently as last weekend.

President of baseball operations Michael Hill and Mattingly discussed Chen’s situation Friday afternoon but didn’t reach any sort of conclusion.

“I don’t think either one of us really knows where this goes,” Mattingly said.

Chen, the Marlins’ highest-paid player this year at $15.5 million, has a 4.33 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in five starts this year. Last summer, his first with Miami, he missed two months with the partial UCL tear after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection. Now, more elbow trouble. “When it happens like this, you don’t feel like oh OK, three days from now it’s going to all of a sudden be ready to roll,” Mattingly said. “I think we need to wait for the docs and see what the plan is going to be moving forward. That will tell us some sort of a timetable.”

Aviles’ wild week

When the Marlins signed utilityman Mike Aviles late last week, it seemed like a quality depth signing. Now, after a series of injuries to Miami infielders, it seems like incredible foresight.

Aviles joined the Marlins in time for their Friday game against Atlanta. He spent several days at the Marlins’ spring training facility in Jupiter, then joined Triple-A New Orleans all the way out in Reno, Nev., for what turned out to be two at bats before he got pulled. Aviles just didn’t know why. “I’m sitting there, staring. What did I do wrong? I’m going over the things in my head. I didn’t even have time to settle in to do anything wrong,” Aviles said.

He had been excited to play under New Orleans manager Arnie

Beyeler, who Aviles knew from their time together in Boston.

“And here I am the first day, I’m getting taken out because I’m about to get chewed out by him because I thought I did something wrong,” Aviles said. “Turns out he’s like, ‘Hey, you need to get out of here.’ Well, where am I going? Coming up [to the majors]. I was like, ‘No problem. See ya later, Arnie. It was great playing for you for three innings.’ Aviles will in effect fill the Miguel

Rojas (fractured right thumb) role, able to play all over the infield — and, if needed, the outfield.

Odds & ends

The Marlins Park roof was open again Saturday for a ballpark-record fifth consecutive game . ... Brian Ellington was optioned back to New Orleans on Saturday to make room for Edinson Volquez, who returned from the disabled list . ... Infielder Nick Noonan, acquired by the Marlins from the Brewers this week, officially joined New Orleans on Friday. He has 83 games of big league experience since 2013, most recently seven games with the Padres in 2016 . ... Left-hander Jeff Locke (shoulder tendinitis) threw 80 pitches across five innings for High-A Jupiter on Saturday, his second rehab start. He allowed one run on five hits and no walks, striking out seven. The Marlins expect Locke to get about two more rehab outings before rejoining the club, though his role (starter or reliever) remains undecided.