Jeff

Conine

The Dodgers have had a scout watching Conine the last two games.

Conine would prefer to stay in Baltimore, but has been rumored in deals with the Dodgers and, most notably, the Marlins in exchange for Derrek Lee. The Baltimore Sun says that after the Marlins swept the Phillies over the weekend, the Fish pulled back a little in their willingness to make that deal happen.

Conine would play left field if picked up by the Dodgers, and his fantasy value in mixed leagues would quickly disappear.

Damion Easley started in his place. Conine is day-to-day.

The Marlins are hoping Conine can play tonight as he has been one of the NL’s hottest hitters this past month. In his last 34 games, the Florida first baseman has 35 RBI. Damion Easley who replaced Conine the past two games, remains on standby this evening.

The pitch was only a 78 mph curveball from Steve Woodard, but it struck the ulnar nerve. With today’s off day, Conine believes he should be fine for Tuesday’s game.

Conine, who had scar tissue removed in October, separated the shoulder over the Thanksgiving weekend. His arm will be in a sling for about three weeks. The Marlins could try to terminate his contract since playing racquet sports is forbidden, but because he should be fine for the start of the season, it’s very unlikely that they will.

Conine will begin hitting and throwing next week. If he shows he’s healthy, he’ll probably start over Juan Encarnacion on Opening Day.

If Conine is healthy enough to play left field, manager Jack McKeon plans to use Juan Encarnacion as the DH.

This adds to the speculation that Derrek Lee won’t be a Marlin in 2004 and that Conine will play first base for the next two seasons, which is about the time Jason Stokes will be ready to take over.