After adding several veterans last winter, the Miami Marlins were aware that injuries needed to be taken into consideration when discussing deals with Rafael Furcal and Garrett Jones. And while Furcal has had difficulty remaining healthy, the Marlins have been without their starting shortstop the past few nights.
Adeiny Hechavarria was scratched from Saturday's lineup and has yet to return after reportedly suffering from elbow soreness that has plagued him since April of last season.
As the team was winding down batting practice, shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria -- who has been dealing with soreness in his right elbow since April 2013 -- headed to the clubhouse with trainer Sean Cunningham.
"Hech has had the same re-occurring thing as last year," manager Mike Redmond said. "He gets treatment on it every day. Sometimes it flares up."
While he has fielded his position well, Hechavarria has had his share of inconsistencies at the plate, posting a .272/.299/.332 slash line to complement 17 RBIs and four stolen bases. Hechavarria, though, collected eight hits in his previous five games before being scratched.
Since Furcal, who has shortstop experience, was placed back on the disabled list, Ed Lucas will see most of the time at shortstop for the Marlins. As Miami's utility man, Lucas has posted .260/.311/.302 line with a 0.2 WAR and five RBIs.
With Jeff Bour primarily playing first base and Donovan Solano being optioned to Triple-A in the midst of several roster moves last week, Lucas is likely to start in the short term.
Miami's offense was inconsistent on the 3-7 homestand, and should Hechavarria miss another few days, the Marlins may rightfully place him on the disabled list. Miami proved it didn't want to waste time in making decisions after promptly placing Christian Yelich on the disabled list after he wasn't in the lineup for a pair of days.
Hechavarria is listed as day-to-day, but with the Marlins' current struggles, any additional help would likely be beneficial. Should Miami's starting shortstop miss a few more games, a DL stint may become a reality.