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.