Where Burke Badenhop fits in

Fredi was a little clearer about what he plans to do with Burke Badenhop.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez said he was 70 percent sure Badenhop would start Sunday's series final in Houston, and Ricky Nolasco would assume Rick VandenHurk's rotation spot and face the Astros on Friday at Minute Maid Park.

Badenhop likely will make his major league debut in relief before Sunday's scheduled outing. When he does take the mound he'll do so with his high spring training number (66).

"I tried to [change it], but apparently we got kind of stuck," said Badenhop, who donned No. 31 with the Mudcats. "Sixty-six is what got me here, so hopefully it's what keeps me here. It's not about the number. I'll be 100 if they want me to."

I hope he enjoys pitching relief because he is definitely going to get the chance to do it before Sunday.  Especially since almost every game this season has thus far been all bullpen arms on deck.

I don't have high expectations for Mr. Badenhop when he enters the rotation and it has nothing to do with his talent or what success he may one day achieve.  It has to do with the fact that entering this season he has only pitched 18.2 innings at the double-A level, which is the highest level he has ever pitched.

Of course, it may all workout just swimmingly.  You never know, I can guess, but you never know.

Oh, about all the high jersey numbers: last year or the year before I happened into the comments on one of the West Coast baseball blogs and they were commenting about how so many of the Marlins players had high spring-like training numbers.  And one guy in the thread had this to say (and I paraphrase): the reason all of the numbers are so high is that the veterans got all the low numbers....and they didn't make the team.