UPDATE: Hensley To 15 Day DL, Ozzie Martinez Called Up

[geemoney]

I agree in liking Clay to the rotation. The #5 starters haven't worked out and there's no one waiting in the wings to help, plus the bullpen has done a decent job and it's not like we desperately need him to fill a hole there.

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

JCR says Clay is supposed to throw 65 pitches in his next rehab outing on Friday.
--------------------
Full story;

There's a very strong chance Clay Hensley won't be returning to the bullpen when he's activated from the disabled list shortly after the All-Star break. The Marlins are building up Hensley's arm strength as a precursor to inserting him into the starting rotation.

"That's a possibility," said manager Jack McKeon. ""We've run that through the computer once or twice. He's been a starter."

Hensley has been ramping up his pitch count and throwing every fifth day in rehab outings in a bid to bring him up to speed as a starter. He threw 45 pitches on Sunday for the Gulf Coast League Marlins, is scheduled for 65 pitches on Friday in another rehab stint, and is aiming for an 85-pitch outing before coming off the DL from a sprained right shoulder.

Hensley made 29 starts for the Padres in 2006 and nine more in '07. It appeared he would make Marlins' 25-man roster as a starter out of spring training in 2010 before the team traded for Nate Robertson just before Opening Day, bumping Hensley to the bullpen.

The 31-year-old right-hander smiled broadly when asked if he would like to return to a starting role.

"It's obvously somehting I've done my whole career pretty much, up until last year," Hensley said. "I'd be happy to do it. Since I've done it my entire career, it's not like it's going to be new. It's good if I was to start again. That's familiar territory. I've always had my heart in the rotation. But going back to the bullpen was fun."

In 40 major league starts, all with the Padres, Hensley is 13-15 with a 4.35 ERA.

McKeon said Brad Hand would start Thursday.

Marlins priming Clay Hensley for a rotation spot

[Ramp]

Juan C. Rod's take:

MIAMI GARDENS— Clay Hensley's return from a shoulder sprain is taking longer than expected, and it has nothing to do with his health.

The Marlins are rehabbing Hensley like a starter, having him pitch every five days and leaving open the possibility he could join the rotation at some point. Manager Jack McKeon before Tuesday's game confirmed the Marlins had "run it through the computer" a few times.

"I don't know," Hensley said. "Just have to get my pitch count up."

Hensley is scheduled to throw 65 pitches during his next rehab outing Friday. He'll make onemore start in the minors after that, presumably on July 13. That would put Hensley in line to perhaps start the July 18 makeup game against the Mets in New York.

Organizationally, the Marlins are thin on major league-ready starters. Elih Villanueva and Tom Koehler haven't dominated the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. Early season injuries to Alex Sanabia and Sean West didn't help. With Josh Johnson out, the Marlins were forced to prematurely promote lefty Brad Hand from Double-A Jacksonville.

Hensley last started in the majors as a member of the Padres in 2008. Each of his 32 outings that season except for July 24 at Pittsburgh was in relief. For his career, Hensley in 40 starts is 13-15 with a 4.35 ERA, 104 walks and 138 strikeouts in 229 2/3 innings. As a reliever, he's 5-9 with seven saves in 14 opportunities, a 2.93 ERA, 84 walks and 154 strikeouts in 184 innings (154 games).

"It's something I've done my whole career pretty much up until last year," Hensley said. "If the opportunity came up, I would be happy to do it. ... Obviously, it's different. Since I've done it my entire career it's not going to be new, but there are different game plans if I was going to do that.

"I've always had my heart in the rotation, but throwing in the back of the bullpen, I had a blast doing that last year also. I really enjoyed both of them. Whatever they want me to do when I come back, I'd be happy doing both."

In spring training 2010, Hensley earned the Marlins' final rotation spot before they acquired Nate Robertson from the Tigers. Hensley, who made 19 starts for Triple-A New Orleans in 2009, moved to the bullpen and flourished there, logging a 2.16 ERA in 75 innings and striking out 9.24 batters per nine innings. He also allowed a .200 relief batting average, ninth best in the NL.

Most starters turned relievers trim their repertoires, but Hensley has stayed a four-pitch guy.

"I kept throwing all of them," Hensley said. "Nothing had changed. Obviously, if you're coming out of the bullpen you don't get to some of them as much. We'll see what happens."

[Miamarlin21]

Interesting. It makes sense though.

[MiamiHomer]

update

clarkspencer clarkspencer
#Marlins Clay Hensley will start Monday in New York; Coghlan in Double A

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Clay Hensley is penciled in to start Monday in New York against the Mets, Marlins baseball operations president Larry Beinfest said this morning.

Hensley started the year in the bullpen. He has been starting in minor league rehab games since going on the DL in June with a sprained right shoulder.

Hensley will start tonight in Class AA Jacksonville. Barring a setback, he will start Monday.

Beinfest said the team started thinking about moving Hensley to the rotation after Josh Johnson last month experienced a setback in his attempt to come back from a sore shoulder.

“With JJ having the setback, it’s something we really thought made sense,” Beinfest said.

“Clay has started in the past. He can take some pressure off of some of these kids, like the Brad Hands and the (Elih) Villanuevas and let them continue to grow in the minor leagues and we thought he could do it.”

Johnson is exercising and feeling better but there is no timetable on his return.

“We hope he will pitch this year. We are not going to rush him back,” Beinfest said.

“When you are going without Josh Johnson at the front of your rotation, it’s big deal. He really changes the feel every fifth day when he goes out there. That’s been tough on this club.”

Capozzi