Burke Badenhop close to returning

Burke Badenhop is on the verge of returning to the team.

Reliever Burke Badenhop is close to rejoining the team. He threw 44 pitches and 4 2/3 scoreless innings without giving up a hit for Single A Jupiter Saturday.

Gonzalez said if it wasn’t that the right-hander had pitched Saturday, the Marlins could have recalled him. Gonzalez said Badenhop, who went on the disabled list Aug. 2 with a strained right trapezius, is scheduled to pitch again Thursday in Jupiter.

If I were a betting man I would bet that the Hopper never makes the start on Thursday for the Hammerheads.  The Marlins need a long reliever especially considering how short into the games some of the starters are going.  The Hopper has already proven he is too good for A-ball and he is too good for AA-ball so why keep running the experiment.  If he is physically good to go, bring him up -- the Marlins need him.  If there is still some doubt as to whether he is physically able, then fine, keep monitoring him.  But he is mowing down A-ball which leads me to believe has to be ready or at least very close to it.