Who will start for the Marlins at third base may be determined by as early as Monday.

Joe Frisaro gives the details.

A decision on who starts at third base could be made by Monday. As of now, it appears Murphy will start, and Emilio Bonifacio will be in a utility role.

This works for me. Should it stand. Donnie Murphy is a better hitter and from my observations a better infielder. While this does mean that late power off the bench is reduced, that's fine. It is better to have the better bat starting and collecting plate appearances for most of the game instead of have them ride the pine for just one shot.

The goal is always to field the best offensive talent the team possess, given the defensive constraints. And Murphy fulfills that at the moment. But should Matt Dominguez figure out the hitting thing in the minors early on, say within a month or two, I have no doubt the Marlins will call him up and Murphy will be back to his walk-off win hitting position.