Jeff Mathis, C

[emkayseven]

He has a broken collarbone.

We may see Skippy to start the season.

[Mainge]

Whoops.

[emkayseven]

He's going to be out 6 weeks per JCR

[oakelmpine]

ehe

[HUGG]

He has a broken collarbone.

He's going to be out 6 weeks per JCR

oh, that's it?

[Miamarlin21]

I say Mike Redmond as player manager.

[emkayseven]

dumb

he was already asked and said no
--------------------

For a young team looking to blend together, the Marlins suffered a tough break on Saturday.

Catcher Jeff Mathis suffered a non-displaced fracture to his right collarbone and he could be out six weeks, according to manager Mike Redmond.

"It's not the break that we needed, for sure," Redmond said. "It's a fluke deal, a foul tip. It just hit him perfect."

The injury occurred in the top of the fourth inning of Miami's 8-3 win over the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium.

Mathis was clipped by Matt Holliday's foul tip. Initially, he shook it off and remained in the game for one more pitch. But after Holliday drew a walk, Mathis felt discomfort while throwing the ball back to pitcher Brad Hand.

"When I went to throw I felt it," Mathis said. "It wasn't right. Right now, it's non-displaced, which is good.

"I've had a broken face, broken hand, and broke wrist. I've never messed my collarbone up."

Mathis likely will not be ready for Opening Day on April 1 at Washington. The 29-year-old last was on the disabled list in June 2010, when he was out with a fractured right wrist. He was with the Angels at the time.

The Marlins obtained Mathis from the Blue Jays in November, and the club has been counting on him to back up Rob Brantly.

Miami already is thin on catching depth.

"He is going to play a leadership role, for sure," Redmond said about Mathis.

Kyle Skipworth replaced Mathis in the fourth inning. Jake Jefferies is another candidate. Wilfredo Gimenez and J.T. Realmuto, two prospects, are the other catchers in camp.

"I feel bad for us, but bad for him," Redmond said. "He was excited. He's been great around the young guys. We just have to figure it out tomorrow and see where we go from here."

Redmond is a former catcher who retired after the 2010 season.

Would the 41-year-old, who last played for the Indians, consider a player/manager role?

"I don't know. I don't think so," Redmond said, laughing. "I like the way my body feels right now, the way it is."

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, also a former catcher, was stunned that Mathis suffered a fracture on what appeared to be a routine foul tip.

"That's a shame," Matheny said. "It looked like it got him good, but it's hard to believe a broken collarbone on a foul ball. Everybody thinks catchers are back there suited in armor. It protects your heart and protects your face, but there's not that much to it."

It's been a physically taxing start to Spring Training for the Marlins.

On Monday, first baseman Casey Kotchman sliced his left ring finger and received four stitches after colliding with the machine that shoots out pop ups. Two days later, Giancarlo Stanton was struck in the back of the head by a Jose Fernandez fastball in a simulated game. Stanton, fortunately, is fine, and he played on Saturday, driving in two runs.

In recent days, the team also learned that first baseman Logan Morrison will not be ready for Opening Day. Morrison is recovering from right knee surgery, and just this week was cleared to begin running on an anti-gravity treadmill.

If there is good news, Mathis' injury occurred five weeks before Opening Day.

"It doesn't look like it's a season-end-type situation, which is good," Redmond said.

In the past, Mathis said he has broken several bones, but never his collarbone. The impact of the foul tip went through his chest protector.

"It hit me in the pad," Mathis said. "It was just one of those things, where it catches you right. I've been hit there a lot of times.

"It felt like any other foul tip, I'd taken off the mask, the shoulder, the hand. When I went to throw, I knew it was something."

http://miami.marlins.mlb.com/news/ar...s_mia&c_id=mia

[emkayseven]

The Miami Marlins are searching for a backup catcher, following an injury to C Jeff Mathis (collarbone) that is expected to sideline him for six weeks. They are open to making a trade or waiting to see who's available after rosters are reduced. C Kyle Skipworth would be the most likely choice to serve as the backup to C Rob Brantly if the Marlins decide to use an internal candidate.

http://www.kffl.com/gnews.php?id=840...#ixzz2LqnkRRJ9

[oakelmpine]

http://www.kffl.com/gnews.php?id=840...#ixzz2LqnkRRJ9

Is Brett Hayes still available ?

ehe !

[tjfla]

Is Brett Hayes still available ?

ehe !

Yes he is,the only problem is I think he makes too much now for us. More than likely we will just get someone off the scrap heap when rosters are cut down. The biggest problem this causes tho is now we have to open up a spot on the 40 man roster

Matt Treanor is still on the market

[Beef]

Brett Hayes is scrap heap

[AdamRavs]

Brett Hayes is scrap heap

Kind of the whole team minus Stanton

[HUGG]

Well that's not really true.

[emkayseven]

The Marlins have “begun the process” of looking for catching help outside the organization in the aftermath of Saturday’s injury to Jeff Mathis, according to a team source.

But, given that the start of the season is still five weeks off, they’re in no great hurry to pull the trigger on a deal.

And the team could decide to go with Kyle Skipworth as the primary backup to Rob Brantly.

Other than Mathis and Brantly, the Marlins have no catchers with big-league experience in the organization, and Brantly has appeared in only 31 major-league games.

The Marlins could wait for other teams to trim rosters later in spring training and look for the best available catcher from the pile of discards.

The Colorado Rockies are one team with an abundance of experienced catchers, including Yorvit Torrealba, Ramon Hernandez and Wilin Rosario.

Mathis is expected to miss anywhere from six weeks to two months after his right collarbone was broken Saturday on a foul tip.

http://www.bradenton.com/2013/02/25/...#storylink=cpy

He's not on that list but I'd love for us to nab Pacheco.

[tjfla]

Colorado and KC are the teams with more than enough Catchers.