Florida
Marlins

News: Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez has named Sanches as one of the members of his bullpen.
Impact: No surprise here, as Sanches will be Leo Nunez's main right-handed set-up man. Sanches has had a solid spring so far too, with a 1.80 ERA and a 2:0 K:BB ratio in five innings.

News: Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez has named Pinto as one of the members of his bullpen to start the season.
Impact: He hasn't done much in limited work this spring, posting a 13.50 ERA in 3.1 innings, but he'll begin the year as the second lefty in the Marlins 'pen. The club was looking to trade him in the offseason and has other portside options behind Pinto, though, so don't be surprised if he gets moved at some point.

News: Helms looks ready for the regular season, hitting .333/.538/.389 in 18 spring at-bats.
Impact: No, those numbers aren't in the wrong order -- Helms has walked six times, against just two strikeouts. If as expected the Marlins open the season with either Gaby Sanchez or Logan Morrison at first base, there could be a little extra playing time for Helms in April as the team eases the youngster into action.

News: Hayes has had a solid spring at the plate, hitting .409 in 22 at-bats.
Impact: All the hits have been singles though, and he's failed to draw a walk against five K's. John Baker's forearm injury gave Hayes a chance at more playing time this spring and he demonstrated he can be a dependable third option behind the plate for the Marlins, but if he gets pressed into regular duty this season don't expect much offense.

News: Volstad got a vote of confidence from manager Fredi Gonzalez prior to Saturday's start against the Nationals, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Impact: "It's spring training. It's early. It's not that big of a deal," Gonzalez said of Volstad's numbers this spring. "We just want to see the Volstad that we know, that is capable of pitching and I think we're heading in that direction, we really are, with his side work. We'll find out in the next three or four starts that he has left and hopefully he is turning in the right direction." Other pitchers are outperforming Volstad so far in camp, but it appears as though the Marlins are still leaning towards opening the season with him in their rotation.

News: Sanchez continued to solidify his rotation spot Friday, allowing two runs on four hits over five innings.
Impact: He's now struck out 13 batters over 13.1 spring innings, although the eight walks are a bit worrisome. He should open the season as the Marlins' #3 starter.

News: Meyer pitched 1.1 scoreless innings against the Cards on Friday afternoon.
Impact: He'll be among the first candidates considered to work the ninth inning on days where Leo Nunez is unavailable, which is good enough to make Meyer a viable option in deeper NL-only leagues. Meyer transitioned well to relief work last season with a 56:21 K:BB ratio in 58.1 innings (71 appearances) for Florida.

News: Nolasco struck out seven of the first 12 batters he faced in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Mets. He threw 23 of his first 30 pitches for strikes, and 45 of 63 by the end of his outing.
Impact: Nolasco, who struck out 16 Braves in his final start of the 2009 season, has 18 strikeouts in 14 innings over his first three starts this spring. "As long as I'm not walking them," said Nolasco, who allowed two runs on two hits with no walks over five innings. "I'm not trying to strike guys out but I think when you pitch ahead and you get ahead of these guys, their susceptible to swing at a lot of different pitches. I was able to make good pitches."

News: Maybin went 2-for-3 against the Mets Thursday, and seems to be recovered from his groin strain.
Impact: Expect to see him playing center field and hitting second in the Marlins' Opening Day lineup.

News: Baker (forearm) will make his Grapefruit League debut on Saturday, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Impact: He's been DHing in 'B' games without any problems. Baker should be fine to start the regular season.

News: Nolasco struck out seven of the first 12 batters he faced in Thursday's spring training game against the Mets.
Impact: He eventually tired in the fifth, giving up a double to Jason Bay and then a homer to Jeff Francoeur. He's picked up where he left off at the end of last season, striking out 18 in 14 innings this spring.

News: McClung is still in the running for the final spot in the Marlins bullpen, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Impact: He can still get his K's (McClung has struck out six batters in 3.2 innings of work so far this spring) but he's also walked three batters and allowed six runs. Still, his versatility might just give him an edge over the competition.

News: MacDougal is still in the running for the final spot in the Marlins bullpen, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Impact: Based on his Grapefruit League numbers (four walks and two strikeouts in four innings) we wouldn't rate his chances as being very high, but the team might decide his 'experienced closer' tag is more valuable than actual on-field results.

News: Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez indicated Friday morning that Veras would likely break camp in the big league bullpen, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Impact: He's barely pitched in Grapefruit League action so far, getting in just two innings of work, but the Marlins must like what they've seen of him on the practice field so far. He'll be ticketed for middle relief.

News: The Marlins optioned Tankersley to Triple-A New Orleans on Friday, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports.
Impact: Tankersley allowed just one hit over his first two spring training outings, but got tagged for three runs in one inning on Tuesday. Nonetheless, he seemed to be in pretty good shape after missing all of 2009 with an elbow injury, so we will likely see him back with the Marlins at some point this season.

News: Maybin (groin) returned Wednesday and played two innings, going 0-for-1 at the plate.
Impact: He'll play against the Mets on Thursday, and if he has no further setbacks, should be ready for Opening Day.

News: Johnson had his first bad outing of spring, allowing four runs on five hits in three innings of work Tuesday.
Impact: His focus may have been off after being rung up for two balk calls by home plate umpire Joe West, after MLB decided to change the rules on pitchers going to their mouths while off the mound without really telling anyone. Johnson should be more than fine for the start of the regular season.

News: Cantu (flu) is back in the lineup Wednesday.
Impact: He only missed a day due to the bug.

News: VandenHurk allowed six runs on nine hits in 3.2 innings against the Nationals Tuesday.
Impact: He walked two to only one strikeout, and he allowed two home runs (one to a freshly-returned, not-too-powerful Cristian Guzman). VandenHurk had a strong spring to this point, so this start probably didn't jar him too much from being in the projected rotation.

News: Morrison went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the Marlins' loss to the Nationals Tuesday.
Impact: He was the only Marlin to mount multiple hits against the Nationals Tuesday. Top prospects around the league have felt the wrath of the minor league assignment in recent days, but Morrison has remained in Florida's camp. That means he is still in the running for the starting first base job.... for now. There are some rumblings that Jorge Cantu may take over there if neither Morrison or Gaby Sanchez can figure it out.

News: Ramirez went 0-for-4 in his return from a groin injury Tuesday.
Impact: The return to health is much more relevant than the 0-for-4. Ramirez is still one of the top hitters in the game, and it would be nice to know the groin is no longer an issue.

News: Turnbow says his chances of making the Florida Marlins are "over" after he left Tuesday's game with severe shoulder pain.
Impact: Turnbow said he was sure he would "be shutdown for while." He exited Florida's 12-3 victory against the Nationals in the eighth inning. Turnbow walked one batter and hit another before walking off the mound with the team trainer. He will undergo an MRI on Wednesday and said surgery was a possibility. The hard-throwing right-hander had 39 saves in 2005 for the Brewers and pitched in the 2006 All-Star Game. He hasn't pitched in the majors since 2008.

News: Ross (groin/thumb) played right field Monday, hit a double and scored on Gaby Sanchez's sacrifice fly.
Impact: Looks like his health issues are behind him. Ross is a candidate to be traded at some point this season, given his arbitration-eligible status and top prospect Mike Stanton looking like he's just about ready for the big leagues, but he should still supply solid power numbers no matter what uniform he's wearing.

News: Despite the ugly numbers in the box score, manager Fredi Gonzalez says he liked what he saw from Volstad on Monday, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Impact: "The four walks didn't bother you quite as much because you saw that ball running," Gonzalez said. "You saw the depth on that sinker which is a good sign. You saw ground balls, which is a good sign." Gonzalez's optimism is nice, but Volstad will have to start turning in better results if he wants to hang on to a rotation spot.

News: Cantu was held out of action Tuesday due to the flu, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Impact: Manager Fredi Gonzalez doesn't think Cantu will need to miss more than about a day or so.

News: Maybin (groin) is now expected to return to game action on Wednesday, Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post reports.
Impact: Good news for the Marlins' young center fielder, as he needs to get a couple good weeks of at-bats in to solidify his place in the lineup. With fellow prospect Mike Stanton having a strong spring, the Marlins are considering the possibility of having Stanton on the big club in the near future as well.

News: Ramirez has been scratched from an exhibition game against Minnesota because of a tight groin.
Impact: Ramirez took batting practice Monday and appeared to be fine while walking around the clubhouse before the announcement was made about 45 minutes before the first pitch. Ramirez is the third Marlins player to deal with a groin issue this spring training, joining outfielders Cameron Maybin and Cody Ross.

News: Paulino went 1-for-2 against the Twins on Monday is now 12-for-24 (.500) in Grapefruit League play this spring.
Impact: He'll spell John Baker against left-handed starters and get an occasional turn against righties, but his work against southpaws (.290/.343/.458, five homers in 131 at-bats) last season makes him valuable in two-catcher leagues since the Marlins aren't overplaying him against righties and he won't sink your batting average mark.

News: Bonifacio went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and is now hitting .385 this spring.
Impact: He hasn't flashed great on-base skills during the last season-plus with Florida and Washington in the big leagues, but Bonifacio did have .375 OBP as a 21-year-old at High-A Visalia in 2006 before a .333 mark as a 22-year-old at Double-A Mobile in 2007. All things considered, you don't want to write him off as a source of cheap steals in deeper leagues as he's capable of playing any infield or outfield position in a pinch for the Marlins, plus he's shortstop-eligible in many leagues after appearing in 20 games there last season.

News: Badenhop struck out one and walked one over 1.2 scoreless innings on Monday.
Impact: He also recorded three of his four contact outs on the ground, which is one of his primary strengths as a sinkerballer. Badenhop will likely chew up a lot of innings in long relief this season, but he could also be called upon in the late innings when the Marlins need to try and induce a double play.

News: Volstad struggled for the second straight outing on Monday, giving up four runs on five hits while walking four over 2.1 innings.
Impact: Since an impressive spring debut, Volstad has turned in a pair of clunkers, significantly hurting his chances of securing a rotation spot to begin the regular season. He recorded three of his seven outs on the ground, while striking out one on Monday afternoon. Fortunately for Volstad, Andrew Miller and Sean West have had terrible control this spring, so his biggest competition appears to be Rick VandenHurk and Hayden Penn right now.

News: Ramirez, scratched Monday due to a tight groin, took batting practice before the game and was seen walking around the clubhouse without any issues, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Impact: The Marlins have already seen two starters, Cameron Maybin and Cody Ross, deal with groin strains this spring, and the decision to give Ramirez a rest seems to have been purely precautionary. At this point we'd be very surprised if Ramirez was not in the Opening Day lineup.

News: Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez now thinks Maybin (groin) may be able to return to action by Thursday or Friday, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Impact: "The last two days I've [run with] more intensity and am feeling pretty good. I've stretched out my sprinting and should be ready pretty soon," Maybin said Sunday. Maybin owners can start to breathe a bit easier about him, but you should wait until he's actually back on the field before fully exhaling.

News: Baker (forearm) will continue to DH for the time being, and Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez estimates he'll get Baker back behind the plate next weekend, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Impact: Ronny Paulino is having a great spring so far, so if Baker's injury does linger into the regular season don't be surprised if he receives a little less work than you'd expect.

News: Ramirez was scratched from Monday's lineup with groin tightness, the Marlins' official site reports.
Impact: He's listed as day-to-day, but keep an eye on him just to be sure that he's back in the lineup later this week. If this injury were to linger, it could keep from being active on the basepaths early on this season.

News: Sanchez gave up just two hits on Sunday in four scoreless innings, striking out three and walking two.
Impact: Sanchez, who needed to bounce back after a slow spring start, looked like the Sanchez that ended 2009 and it bodes well for him to earn a spot in the rotation.

News: MacDougal has walked two batters in two innings of work so far this spring.
Impact: He's a long shot to make the major league bullpen, but his true value in camp this year might be in mentoring prospect Ryan Tucker. Tucker recently disclosed he has a medical condition that causes numbness in his pitching hand, while MacDougal has dealt with a loss of sensitivity in his fingers ever since he suffered a skull fracture in 2001, so he may be able to offer some advice to the youngster. If Tucker can have even a MacDougal-like career at this point, that would have to be considered a win.

News: Maybin has begun testing his strained groin with sprinting drills, and the Marlins are projecting him to return to game action next weekend, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Impact: "The way it feels right now it should be pretty soon," Maybin said. If that timetable holds Maybin will still have a couple of weeks to get into game shape, so don't downgrade him much if at all on your cheat sheets.

News: Ross (groin/thumb) was in at DH Saturday, going 0-for-3.
Impact: He should be fine to begin the regular season.

News: Nolasco was sharp again Saturday, allowing one run on four hits over four innings, while striking out four.
Impact: He's now got a 9:0 K:BB ratio through his first seven Grapefruit League innings. Between Nolasco and Josh Johnson, the top of the Marlins rotation seems to be in very good hands.

News: Miller allowed three runs on three hits and four walks in the Marlins' win over the Rays Saturday.
Impact: He now has six walks in five spring innings. His control (or lack thereof) is doing him no favors in his bid for a rotation spot. Although the projected starting five is currently righty-heavy, the Marlins probably won't bring along Miller if he won't win games for them.

News: Baker (forearm) went 1-for-3 in a "B" game on Saturday, his first game action of the spring, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.
Impact: It sounds like he'll fine for the start of the regular season, but you'll want to keep an eye on him just to be safe if Baker is going to be a part of your plans behind the plate this season.

News: Uggla is off to a solid start at the plate this spring, hitting .357/.471/.643 in 14 at-bats.
Impact: The trade talks have subsided for now, and Uggla should open the season as the Marlins' everyday second baseman and provide his usual very good power numbers from the heart of their lineup, but whether he finishes the season in teal is another question entirely.

News: Sanchez has the early lead in the battle for the Marlins' starting first base job, hitting .400 (6-for-15) to Logan Morrison's .056 (1-for-18).
Impact: Morrison's the better prospect, but in the short term the job was Sanchez's to lose anyway. There's always the possibility that the Marlins add a veteran corner infielder before the spring is over (Mike Lowell's name has come up) but if you're drafting right now, it seems safe to assume Sanchez will be manning first on Opening Day.

News: Morrison is hitting just .056 (1-for-18) to start the spring.
Impact: Gaby Sanchez, meanwhile, has started off his spring batting .400 (6-for-15). Morrison's rapidly falling out of the picture in the battle for the Marlins' starting first base job.

News: Johnson's second outing of the spring was a gem, as he threw three scoreless innings and struck out four.
Impact: Three of those strikeouts came in the first inning. With his fastball reaching 94 mph according to the reports, Johnson already appears to be in midseason form.

News: Nunez surrendered three earned runs on four hits while recording just two outs against the Cardinals on Thursday.
Impact: Nunez, the Marlins' closer, came into the game in his first true save situation of the spring, but manager Fredi Gonzalez shrugged off the poor showing. "It was his third time out," he said. "Those things are going to happen."

News: Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said Thursday that Maybin, currently battling a groin injury, was not guaranteed a spot on the team, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Impact: It's a bit of a shocking statement, and came in the context of a question about whether prospect Mike Stanton might make the Opening Day roster, but if he's healthy enough to play we still expect Maybin to be in center field when the Marlins begin the regular season regardless of what Gonzalez said.

News: Coghlan went 2-for-3 with four RBI in Wednesday's win over Houston.
Impact: The multi-hit game was Coghlan's third of the spring through six contests. He's expected to lead off for the Marlins again this season where his on-base skills should lead to plenty of runs scored and possibly, an uptick of stolen bases while setting the table for the heart of the Florida lineup.

News: Penn struck out one and pitched three perfect innings against the Astros on Wednesday.
Impact: If he continues to pitch well this spring, the Marlins will at least keep him around as part of their bullpen, but they haven't guaranteed anything to their starters other than Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco, so Penn will have an outside shot at landing the No. 5 starter spot with a strong Grapefruit League campaign.

News: Sanchez got roughed up for five runs (four earned) over 2.1 innings Tuesday, waking three and striking out three.
Impact: The velocity is there for Sanchez but he's still struggling with his command. There's no reason to worry yet, however, and Sanchez is still a favorite to win one of the rotation jobs behind Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco.

News: The timetable on Maybin's return from a groin strain has been pushed back, and Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez now suggests that he may not be back in the lineup until at least next week, the Miami Herald reports.
Impact: As yet this still just seems like caution on the Marlins' part, and not a reason to downgrade Maybin on your cheat sheets, but if he remains sidelined through next week we'll re-evaluate that assessment.

News: Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez thinks that Ross (groin, thumb) could be back in the lineup by this weekend, the Miami Herald reports.
Impact: Neither injury seems serious, and Ross should be fine by the start of the regular season.

News: Baker (forearm strain) could get back into action Friday at DH, the Miami Herald reports.
Impact: He should be fine once the regular season begins.

News: VandenHurk's strong early spring showing continued Tuesday, as he gave up just one hit over three shutout innings.
Impact: While the competition for the Marlins' three, four and five slots in the rotation is still wide open, VandenHurk is positioning himself as one of the favorites so far.

News: Badenhop struck out one and pitched a scoreless fifth inning against the Nationals on Monday.
Impact: He recorded his other two outs on grounders, which will be his main weapon working out of the Florida bullpen this season. The Marlins will likely use him out of long relief again, but depending on which of their rotation candidates end up losing out on a job, Badenhop's role could be modified.

News: Nolasco struck out five and did not walk a batter while holding the Nats to one run on four hits over three innings on Monday.
Impact: Even though he spent time at Triple-A in 2009, the consensus is that Nolasco was one of the most unlucky pitchers in the league last season. He stranded just 61.2 percent of the baserunners he allowed (70 percent is roughly average) in 2009 and was also victimized by an inflated .336 BABIP. As a result, Nolasco could potentially exceed his current ADP position as a late ninth-round pick (104.96) in 12-team 5x5 formats.

News: Nolasco worked three innings in his first turn against major leaguers this spring, allowing a run on four hits with five strikeouts in Monday's 11-2 win over Washington.
Impact: Nolasco was 13-9 with a 5.06 ERA in 2009.

News: Baker has been scratched from their game against the New York Mets because of tenderness in his throwing arm.
Impact: The ailment is not considered serious, but manager Fredi Gonzalez said Baker probably will be kept out of action Saturday as a precaution. Minor league catcher Brett Hayes replaced Baker in the starting lineup Friday against the Mets. Ronny Paulino will start Saturday against the Cardinals in Jupiter. The left-handed hitting Baker batted .271 in 112 games last year, making most of the starts against right-handed pitchers.

News: Ross (thumb) was scheduled to play in Monday's spring training game, but Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post reports that Ross is now dealing with tightness in his groin and was scratched from the lineup.
Impact: Ross is off to a rough start this season injury-wise, so expect the Marlins to be cautious with him to avoid any further issues.

News: Ross (thumb) will be in the lineup for the Marlins Monday, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Impact: He'll be batting fifth and playing right field, and it doesn't look like the thumb injury will be an issue going forward.

News: Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez says that Maybin will only miss "the next day or two" due to his groin strain, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Impact: Maybin is locked in as the starting center fielder and the Marlins have no reason to rush him back into action, so that timetable seems a little bit aggressive. A weekend return seems far more reasonable.

News: Carroll hit his first home run of the spring Sunday.
Impact: He's the front-runner for the Marlins' fourth outfielder job, but that's more due to his defense. Beyond some big numbers in the thin desert air at Albuquerque, he's never really produced with his bat in the high minors or in his brief major league stints, so don't expect a sudden breakout.

News: Miller struggled with his control Sunday in his first Grapefruit League appearance of the year, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks over two innings of work, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Impact: He threw just 16 of his 35 pitches for strikes. "I think I was a little bit anxious to get one under my belt, and definitely I showed that on the mound," Miller said. "I was rushing through my delivery a little bit. I'm not reading too much into it. I felt pretty good my bullpen. I was so amped up and I think that carried me out of my delivery. My tempo was a little quick, a little jumpy." Miller's in the mix for a rotation spot, but he'll have to turn things around pretty quickly this spring if he wants to stay in contention.

News: Maybin left Sunday's spring training game with a strained groin, the Associated Press reports.
Impact: Maybin stepped on third base awkwardly while trying to score from first base on a double. He's expected to be out for several days.

News: Ross is on the sidelines after jamming his thumb in batting practice Tuesday, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Impact: The injury doesn't seem serious, but there's no word yet on when he'll be back in action.

News: Johnson's first appearance of the spring was a mixed bag Saturday, and he allowed two runs on two hits, a walk and a wild pitch in the second inning after a 1-2-3 first that included a strikeout of Albert Pujols.
Impact: Johnson threw 24 of 42 pitches for strikes. As with most pitchers, his actual performance this early in the spring isn't as important as just staying healthy and getting his work in.

News: Baker may be out until the middle of next week with a sore right arm, the Palm Beach Post's Joe Capozzi reports.
Impact: The Marlins haven't given any indication that they expect this to be a long-term problem. Ronny Paulino and Brett Hayes will continue to handle the duties behind the dish while Baker is out.

News: In addition to adjusting his arm angle, Volstad has added a slider to his arsenal which could emerge as the strikeout pitch he needs, the Marlins web site reports.
Impact: While you don't want to get too excited about early spring pitching results, given that most hitters don't have their timing down yet, both Jason Bay and Rod Barajas came up empty Friday swinging at Volstad's new offering. Volstad's disappointing 2009 will keep his price tag cheap this year, but given his pedigree there's still upside here.

News: Sanchez went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts against the Mets on Friday afternoon.
Impact: He's getting a chance to compete with Logan Morrison for the starting job at first base this spring, while it's believed that Sanchez has the early advantage because of his advanced age (26). Even if Sanchez breaks camp as the starter, Morrison will remain a threat to take over the job at some point during the 2010 season.

News: Penn gave up two runs on three hits while walking one over two innings against the Mets on Friday.
Impact: He's vying for a rotation spot this spring, but Penn is out of options and will likely surface in the Florida bullpen when the dust clears. Ultimately, it will take a series of impressive showings for him to lock up one of the three "open" spots behind Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco.

News: Volstad struck out two and gave up two hits over two scoreless innings in his first start of the spring on Friday.
Impact: More importantly than the overall numbers, Volstad recorded three of his outs on groundballs, which is something he's hoping to increase vs. last season after adjusting his arm slot. Volstad is a former first-round pick and given that he's still just 23, there's growth potential here if he proves capable of making the necessary mechanical adjustments to maximize his effectiveness and minimize his mistakes. Volstad has been young for his level at every minor league spot and is one of the Marlins' young players who skipped Triple-A prior to breaking through as a 21-year-old. With some patience, he could emerge as a cheap source of good innings in NL-only and deeper mixed formats this season, but inducing groundballs for the weak Florida infield defense is something of a short-term concern.

News: Baker (arm) did not make the trip to Port St. Lucie on Friday and will likely miss Saturday's game as well, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.
Impact: Ronny Paulino and Brett Hayes will handle the bulk of the catching duties while Baker is unavailable. The Marlins haven't provided any additional details about Baker's injury, so consider him day-to-day for now.

News: Morrison hit a two-run triple in Thursday's Grapefruit League win over the Nationals.
Impact: It's a good start for the youngster, but he'll probably have to decisively outperform Gaby Sanchez to win the Marlins' starting first base job.

News: Sanchez looked pretty good in his first Grapefruit League action Thursday, allowing one run on two hits and a walk over two innings, while striking out three.
Impact: He threw 23 of 41 of his pitches for strikes. Sanchez is still a favorite to win a rotation spot with the Marlins assuming he doesn't completely fall apart this spring.

News: VandenHurk threw two scoreless innings Thursday, striking out two.
Impact: He gave up a hit and a walk, and 20 of his 35 pitches went for strikes. He's firmly in the mix for a rotation spot this spring, and his strikeout potential makes him a very interesting sleeper.

News: Baker didn't play Thursday die to what manager Fredi Gonzales described as "tenderness in his throwing arm," the Miami Herald reports.
Impact: "I didn't want to take a risk. It's only the second day of spring training," Gonzalez said. Baker shouldn't be out of action for too long.

News: Tankersley needed just four pitches to get through a scoreless inning of work against the Nationals Thursday.
Impact: He gave up a hit, promptly got a double play and then got a pop-up to end the inning. A healthy Tankersley would almost certainly win one of the open spots in the Marlins bullpen, and could even factor into the saves picture down the road if Leo Nunez falters.

News: Ramirez popped a three-run home run Wednesday as the Marlins kicked off their exhibition schedule against the University of Miami.
Impact: The premier fantasy shortstop in baseball is off to a flying start this spring.

News: Ramirez tried out an aluminum bat in batting practice Wednesday, then used wood to hit a three-run homer on the second pitch to him in spring training, and the Florida Marlins beat the Miami Hurricanes 19-3.
Impact: Ramirez singled in the third inning to finish 2 for 2 and scored twice. He borrowed one of the Hurricanes' aluminum bats before the game, hit several balls over the fence and said he liked the bat.

News: Maybin saw a dramatic turnaround in his selectivity at the plate last season, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Impact: According to Ben Jedlovec at Baseball Info Solutions, Maybin was swinging at just 66.9% of the strikes he saw, and 25.9% of pitches off the plate, during his early season struggles in 2009. Once he returned to the majors at the end of the season, those numbers were 90.3% and 18.4%. If he can maintain anything close to those numbers, a nice breakout season could be in the works for Maybin.

News: Bonifacio spent a good portion of the offseason working with Luis Castillo on the finer points of playing small ball, the Miami Herald reports.
Impact: "He was a big help," Bonifacio said. "He talked to me about working long counts and getting on base. He said I've got to [utilize] my legs." The Marlins still hold out hope that he could develop into their starting second baseman and leadoff hitter (in other words, a Castillo clone) down the road, but at least to begin 2010 he'll find himself in Alfredo Amezaga's old supersub role. If he gets the same amount of playing time that Amezaga used to, Bonifacio's steals will still make him a fairly valuable fantasy commodity.

News: VandenHurk has added a slider and sinker to his repertoire, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Impact: He previously relied on his four-seam fastball and curve, both of which stay up in the strike zone, so the new pitches should help him keep hitters off-balance, and the slider gives him a breaking pitch he can control a little better. "I needed to develop the slider because I need to throw my breaking pitch more for strikes and I had trouble doing that with my curveball," said VandenHurk. "I had games where it was for strikes. When it wasn't they started eliminating it and bam, they're sitting on the fastball." VandenHurk has a legitimate shot of winning a rotation job this spring, and his strikeouts give him some intriguing fantasy potential.

News: After a film review of Volstad's 2009 season, new Marlins pitching coach Randy St. Claire suggested that a higher arm slot resulted in less movement on his sinker, which was the main contributor to his elevated flyball and home run rates, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Impact: Volstad probably needs a GB/FB ratio of around 2.00 or better to be successful, and last season he clocked in at only 1.47. "His mechanics aren't that bad," St. Claire said. "I've looked at him and I don't think there are a lot of adjustments to be done. I need to get him focused and confident, and pound that strike zone and trust his stuff, have a game plan to study the hitters. Watching his stuff and watching his delivery, it's pretty solid. Now it becomes those other finer things he has to work at." There's still upside here, but in the short term Volstad's fantasy upside is limited as much by the Marlins' shaky infield defense as it is by his own inexperience.

News: Morrison says his wrist still gets sore on occasion, particularly when he swings and misses at a pitch, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Impact: This is something to keep an eye on, as the 22-year-old has a legitimate shot at winning the first base job in camp. Morrison's power has yet to really develop, and a lingering wrist problem isn't going to help him swat more home runs.