Ramos lands on DL in flurry of Marlins moves

MIAMI -- The Miami Marlins placed right-handed reliever A.J. Ramos on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday (retroactive to Saturday) with a middle finger fracture on his throwing hand and optioned left-hander Hunter Cervenka to Triple-A New Orleans.
"We were going to give him three days [off] in this series and then the off-day [Thursday], thinking that hopefully on the next day we were going to be ready to go," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said about Ramos.
"That was going to be like seven days and with last night we just said we've just got to do this [put him on the DL] and bite the bullet and get him healthy. But more than anything we needed some guys."
Mattingly used all seven available relievers in Monday's 8-7, 14-inning loss to the Giants in the longest game by time ever played at Marlins Park (5 hours, 34 minutes).
So the team also announced Tuesday that it had designated left-hander Cody Ege for assignment, recalled right-hander Austin Brice from New Orleans and selected left-hander Chris Narveson from New Orleans.
Cervenka, 26, made two appearances, pitching a total of one-plus innings for Miami since being acquired from Atlanta on Saturday. He allowed three runs on three hits, all in Monday's loss.
Ege, 25, made his Major League debut with the Marlins on April 23, allowing one run in one inning. He's allowed four runs in three innings this season.
Brice, 24, will make his big league debut when he appears in a game for Miami. He is 4-7 with a 2.93 ERA split between Double-A Jacksonville and New Orleans in 2016.
Narveson, 34, allowed eight runs in 8 1/3 innings for the Marlins this season.
Ramos, 29, is 1-1 with a 3.05 ERA and 32 saves for Miami this season. All-Star closer Fernando Rodney, whom the Marlins acquired from San Diego on June 30, assumes that role in Ramos' absence.
Rodney picked up his first save as a Marlin on Sunday in Colorado after initially being used as a setup man for Ramos, who suffered the hairline fracture fielding a bunt in the July 25 game against Philadelphia at Marlins Park.
Ramos has a freakishly long middle finger that has been an effective weapon for him over his career, but it ended up getting in the way in that game.
"Obviously, with my finger being so much longer than the other one, I'm able to spin it a little bit different," Ramos said. "That being the main finger, it's just one of those deals where it's hard to pitch normally. Without being able to use that [long middle finger] as much as I normally do is kind of tough to be as sharp as I normally am."
Ramos' last outing was a one-inning, one-hit outing at Colorado on Friday.
"That's probably one of the most painful [times] I've ever pitched in a game," Ramos said. "I was able to make just enough pitches in that game [to earn the save]."
Ramos said he believes the injury won't be a prolonged one.
"We didn't think it was that serious [initially]," Mattingly said. "Obviously a couple of days and he was able to throw. Then it got kind of funny at the end because one day it would feel OK and the next day it wouldn't. And then it was two days that it didn't in a row."

Fantasy spin | Fred Zinkie (@FredZinkieMLB)
Having converted 32 of 34 save chances this year, Ramos should be retained in most mixed leagues with the expectation that he will retake Miami's ninth-inning role upon returning from the disabled list. Rodney -- likely to close in Ramos' absence -- can be added by those in need of saves but has not pitched well enough since joining the Marlins (5.71 ERA, 1.50 WHIP in 17 1/3 frames) to be considered anything more than a one-category contributor at this time.