NEW YORK METS (55-50, first place/NL East) at MIAMI MARLINS (43-62, fourth place/NL East)
Monday: RHP Bartolo Colon (9-10, 4.96) vs. RHP Tom Koehler (8-7, 3.38), 7:10 p.m. ET
Tuesday: LHP Jonathon Niese (5-9, 3.63) vs. LHP Brad Hand (1-2, 5.12), 7:10 p.m. ET
Wednesday: RHP Matt Harvey (9-7, 2.91) vs. RHP David Phelps (4-7, 3.93), 7:10 p.m. ET
MARLINS SHORT HOPS
Giancarlo Stanton suffered a fractured hamate bone in his left wrist on a June 26 swing and underwent surgery two days later. He had been leading the majors in homers (27) and RBIs (67) at the time. Ichiro Suzuki primarily has manned right field in Stanton’s absence, with occasional appearances from Cole Gillespie. Stanton originally had been forecast to miss four to six weeks, but the healing has been slower than expected and he only now has started hitting off a tee.
Before the non-waiver trade deadline, the Marlins sent Steve Cishek to the St. Louis Cardinals, Dan Haren to the Chicago Cubs, Mat Latos and Michael Morse to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Sam Dyson to the Texas Rangers. (Morse was flipped to the Pittsburgh Pirates a day later for Jose Tabata.) Haren’s departure is expected to result in left-hander Brad Hand moving from the bullpen into the rotation for Tuesday’s start. Jose Urena stepped in for the departed Latos on Saturday. Hand’s last start came on June 8, when he allowed six runs and was knocked out after recording only two outs at Toronto. Martin Prado remained with the Marlins at the non-waiver trade deadline. He could be dealt in August because he is owed $11 million next season, but Miami is more likely to retain him for 2016.
Two players who figured to be big contributors to the Marlins instead find themselves languishing at Triple-A New Orleans -- Jarred Cosart and Marcell Ozuna. Both were demoted on July 5. The 25-year-old Cosart went 1-4 with a 5.36 ERA with the Marlins this season. Ozuna, who had 23 homers and 85 RBIs last season, was hitting .249 with four long balls in 297 at-bats in 2015.
The Marlins signed Casey McGehee on July 10, coinciding with Jeff Baker landing on the DL with a left oblique strain. McGehee hit .213 (27-for-127) with two homers for the San Francisco Giants to begin the season before getting released. McGehee revived his career in 2014 with the Marlins after spending the previous season in Japan.
Closer A.J. Ramos allowed six runs in two appearances -- a loss and blown save --over the weekend against the San Diego Padres. He remains the closer.
Dee Gordon returned Tuesday after a DL stint for a dislocated left thumb. Gordon became the first player in Marlins history to lead the majors in hits at the All-Star break.
Tom Koehler has produced a 2.40 ERA and has held opponents to a .191 batting average in his last seven starts.
Jose Fernandez tossed 112 pitches on Sunday in his sixth start since returning from Tommy John surgery. That came within two pitches of matching his career high, which he threw against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 4, 2014. Fernandez was in position to improve to 16-0 lifetime at Marlins Park when he departed his outing after six scoreless innings on Sunday. That would have matched the best home start to a career in major league history, tying LaMarr Hoyt (1980-82) and Johnny Allen (1932-33). However, Ramos failed to protect a 2-0 lead in the ninth. Fernandez nonetheless is 4-0 with a 2.13 ERA since returning from the elbow procedure.
Left-hander Chris Reed, who made his major league debut on Saturday with two scoreless relief innings, hails from London. He became the first British pitcher to appear in the majors since Phil Stockman with the Atlanta Braves in 2008.