Rejoice, Marlins fans!
By Juan C. Rodriguez, Sun Sentinel
6:09 p.m. EDT, June 3, 2013
PHILADELPHIA—
What happens to the rejuvenated Chris Coghlan when Giancarlo Stanton returns and/or Christian Yelich is promoted? The Marlins have a plan in the works.
Upon their return home Monday from the current six-game road trip, the Marlins will work Coghlan at third base. Coghlan this season has played exclusively in the outfield save for an inning at second during an extra-inning game at San Diego last month.
The last time Coghlan played third with any regularity was in the minors in 2009, before the Marlins converted him to an outfielder to accommodate his bat in majors.
"Of course it will be a little bit of an adjustment, but I don't think it will be drastic," said Coghlan, who went to the Dominican Republic last winter to log some infield time, albeit at second. "It's better than not playing at all in the infield.
"Anytime you can just take grounders, regardless of the position, to get used to catching ground balls [helps]. Angles off bats, that changes. Third, the biggest thing is it's just a reactionary position and getting used to seeing those angles off the bat, especially those hard one-hoppers. Do you charge or do you not?"
With the Marlins' lacking healthy bodies, Coghlan was among those players infield coach Perry Hill taught how to play first. He hasn't appeared there yet, but Coghlan doesn't doubt his readiness to play that corner as well.
6:09 p.m. EDT, June 3, 2013
PHILADELPHIA—
What happens to the rejuvenated Chris Coghlan when Giancarlo Stanton returns and/or Christian Yelich is promoted? The Marlins have a plan in the works.
Upon their return home Monday from the current six-game road trip, the Marlins will work Coghlan at third base. Coghlan this season has played exclusively in the outfield save for an inning at second during an extra-inning game at San Diego last month.
The last time Coghlan played third with any regularity was in the minors in 2009, before the Marlins converted him to an outfielder to accommodate his bat in majors.
"Of course it will be a little bit of an adjustment, but I don't think it will be drastic," said Coghlan, who went to the Dominican Republic last winter to log some infield time, albeit at second. "It's better than not playing at all in the infield.
"Anytime you can just take grounders, regardless of the position, to get used to catching ground balls [helps]. Angles off bats, that changes. Third, the biggest thing is it's just a reactionary position and getting used to seeing those angles off the bat, especially those hard one-hoppers. Do you charge or do you not?"
With the Marlins' lacking healthy bodies, Coghlan was among those players infield coach Perry Hill taught how to play first. He hasn't appeared there yet, but Coghlan doesn't doubt his readiness to play that corner as well.
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