Marlins Ship Hanley Ramirez to DL

Added on Jun 07, 2011 by Scott in

MLB

After sitting out the last seven games, the Marlins have placed three-time All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list with a strained back. He has yet to test the injury and it’s unknown when he’ll be cleared to return to the practice field. This marks his first trip to the DL in six Major League seasons.

The time off might be a blessing in disguise for Ramirez. He is hitting an abysmal .210 in 48 games with only 38 hits and 17 RBI. Whether or not his back problems have attributed to his woes at the plate hasn’t been confirmed. The Marlins hope a combination of rest and treatment will be enough to get him back on his feet.

Ramirez is a career .307 hitter and winner of the 2009 NL Batting Title. His lowest average came as rookie in 2006 when he hit .292 with 17 home runs. His best season was in 2009 when he captured the aforementioned Batting Championship with a .342 average; he also belted 24 homers and drove in a career best 106 runs.

Ramirez has been the picture of health up until now. From 2006 to 2010, he missed a total of 52 games and played in over 150 games in all but one year. Consistent and reliable players are hard to find, so not having him in the lineup has hurt the Marlins, despite his subpar 2011.

Emilio Bonifacio has filled in at shortstop and is hitting a paltry .143 over his last seven starts. He was solid as a reserve, but the weaknesses in his game have been exposed as a full-time player. With only two career roundtrippers, he lacks Ramirez’s power.

Florida has dropped five in a row and seven of eight in Ramirez’s absence. They currently sit four games behind the first-place Phillies in the NL East. They begin a three-game series tonight with the Braves, who are also four games back in the division.

Source: ESPN.com