Marlins prospect Mike Stanton is on a tear: He hit three home runs and had 7 RBI today for Class AA Jacksonville, a day after he went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs and four RBI.
“Not a bad day,” said Jim Fleming, the Marlins’ assistant general manager and vice president for player development and scouting.
So the question has to be asked: How soon might Marlins fans see 20-year-old Stanton on the big-league team?
“Two good days in a row are not going to influence our decision,” Fleming told me this afternoon. “It’s (all about) at-bats over time. We need a consistent pattern and he has been pretty consistent, but those two days are just that.”
In other words, there is no timetable. The decision will be made based both on the player’s performance and the needs by the big-league team.
The bottom line: The Marlins won’t rush Stanton, considered the third-best prospect in baseball behind Jason Heyward and Stephen Strasburg.
After batting .293 and belting 39 home runs for low-Class A Greensboro in 2008, he hit 12 homers and batted .294 in 50 games for Class A Jupiter in the first two months of last year.
But his production fell after he was promoted to Jacksonville on June 5. He batted .231 with 16 homers in 79 games there, striking out 31 times (with 99 walks) in 299 at-bats.
He had an impressive spring training with the Marlins before opening the year in Jacksonville, where he’s batting .338 with nine homers and 20 RBI in 17 games.
“His swing is not quite there yet,” Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez joked.
Stanton has 17 walks and 18 strikeouts in 65 at-bats. His nine homers lead all of minor league baseball.
“The goal out of spring training was to get him some time at the Double-A level where he can re-establish a patient pattern at the plate,” Fleming said. “When he went to Double-A at the end of last year, he fell out of his approach a little bit. He has to re-establish that.”
So far, so good. But don’t expect to see Stanton with the Marlins right away. I say that a June call-up is not out of the question.
The Marlins don’t want to promote him too soon — before his arbitration clock starts kicking (kuh-ching!).
Cameron Maybin is back
Left-fielder Chris Coghlan has been struggling and center-fielder Cameron Maybin missed two games with dizziness. But the Marlins believe Coghlan (.154) will be fine, and Maybin is back in the starting lineup today.
Maybin said he had no head-aches or dizziness today. He slammed his face into gaby Sanchez’s helmet Saturday during a collission on the base paths.
“I told Gaby, ‘We have to work on that — running with your head up,” Maybin joked. “It felt like a got hit by a truck.”
Logan Morrison to have MRI
Quick update on another prospect: 1B Logan Morrison will have an MRI this week on his shoulder that he injured in a collission last Monday with Round Rock’s Matt Kata. Morrison was put on the DL on Saturday.
Dan Meyer on disabled list
Left-hander Dan Meyer was put on the 15-day disabled list with a left calf strain, retroactive to Sunday.
Right-hander Brian Sanches was activated from the disabled list (strained right hamstring).
Meyer said he initially injured his leg during the Marlins’ last homestand but tried to pitch though the discomfort. He has a 16.20 ERA after two appearances during the team’s road trip: He allowed three runs without retiring a batter on April 16 in Philadelphia then allowed one run on three hits in one inning in Colorado on Saturday.
It’s his push-off leg, his left leg, and it might hinder him a little bit,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
Meyer said he doesn’t think his injury is serious.
“I’m not helping the team trying to fight through it,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s too serious but I just want to do what’s good for the team and stay healthy.”
Dick Enberg in the house
Legendary broadcaster Dick Enberg is here as the Padres’ TV voice. He went on the Marlins pre-game show with Glenn Geffner.
Starting lineups
The Marlins
CF Cameron Maybin
LF Chris Coghlan
SS Hanley Ramirez
3B Jorge Cantu
2B Dan Uggla
C John Baker
RF Cody Ross
1B Gaby Sanchez
RHP Josh Johnson
The Padres
SS Everth Cabrera
2B David Eckstein
1B Adrian Gonzalez
3B Chase Headley
RF Will Venable
LF Kyle Blanks
C Nick Hundley
CF Tony Gwynn Jr
P Mat Latos