Miami Marlins News: Casey Kotchman to disabled list with left hamstring injury

The Miami Marlins could not catch a break on Wednesday night. Not only did the Marlins lose 3-0 to the Washington Nationals, and not only did they blow two distinct opportunities to score runs by hitting into double plays, but the team also injured another first baseman on the play. Casey Kotchman hit a 1-6-3 double play that ended up costing the Marlins an opportunity to score, but he also hurt his left hamstring while running out the ground ball and had to be taken out of the game. The injury has been deemed severe enough that Kotchman now is going to the disabled list.

Kotchman joins Joe Mahoney and Logan Morrison as other first basemen whom the team expected to be in the lineup and instead have ended up on the DL. Mahoney is seven to ten days from action, while Morrison is on the 60-day DL and cannot be activated until the end of May at the earliest.

Kotchman's departure from the team will force the Fish to bring someone else up to the roster, but do not expect that to be someone for whom the Marlins have to clear space on the 40-man roster. The team is not expected to bring up a player who can necessarily play first base, as bench players Chris Valaika, Austin Kearns, and Miguel Olivo could cover first base in addition to the obvious Greg Dobbs move. Dobbs replaced Kotchman in Wednesday night's game and started at first base last night.

The Marlns could bring up include Kyle Skipworth as a third catcher in case Olivo gets first base reps. The Fish surprisingly have very few other position players available to promote, however. The 40-man roster primarily includes players who are already on the roster, with only Skipworth, Kyle Jensen, and Marcell Ozuna still in the minors. Ozuna is one of three injured Marlins prospects in Double-A Jacksonville, and Jensen is serving as one of their replacements, so both players are unlikely.

One option from outside the 40-man roster is Kevin Kouzmanoff, who had a strong spring training and can play first and third base, but did not make the team, likely due to the presence of Dobbs. Outside of the roster problem, he would be a perfect candidate to fill in Dobbs's position on the bench, but with the Marlins already struggling to find roster spots before this injury, it is unlikely the Fish will risk more of their 40-man roster for an injury replacement.