Today, we check in on the Marlin catching situation and Odalis Perez‘s resurgence. Let’s get to it…

• Sorry, couldn’t resist that headline, but the fact of the matter is that with Marlin back-up catcher Matt Treanor landing on the DL, it will be starter Miguel Olivo, and not callup Paul Hoover, who will get the extra PT. Olivo, having a solid year, is already on pace to play 134 games this year and this extra action should garner more interest in him in deeper mixed leagues. Hoover, for his part, is a 30-year-old journeyman catcher who was originally a 23rd round pick by Tampa Bay way back in 1997. He’s gone 4-for-21 in two previous big league stints, the most recent in 2002, and is a veteran of 810 minor league games where his claim to fame is some pretty good speed for a catcher, having once stolen almost 30 bases in one minor league season. Hoover is batting .281 through 80 games at Triple-A this year with a bit of pop (20 doubles and five dingers).
• Odalis Perez is starting to garner interest in deeper leagues now that he’s been moved to the Royals and is a starter again. He was decent in his first outing on Tuesday, the first time he had started a game since the end of June. Perez will need a couple of starts before he’s fully stretched out, but he could be worth a gamble down the stretch. See how he performs Sunday against the Twins and be prepared to put in a waiver claim.

After a solid career at Arizona State, Bordes was picked by the Orioles in the ninth round in June and assigned to the Aberdeen IronBirds of the NYPL. Bordes was actually taken by the Tigers in the 24th round last year, but opted to return for his senior season at ASU, and he improved his stock by going 7-1, 3.15. With the IronBirds, he’s 1-1, 3.86 and has given up just 13 hits in 18 2/3 IP, but he’s walked 12 while fanning 15. The southpaw has a quality arm capable of bringing it at 91 mph, but obviously he’ll need to rein in those walks if he wants to carve out a career as a lefty reliever. more

In recent years, during the Braves’ unprecedented run of success, many “experts” have predicted the demise of the club, but Atlanta always found a way to win. We have resisted such portents of doom, always suggesting until it happened, you had to give the benefit of the doubt to the Braves. more

But now, suddenly, Minnesota is riding another hot streak, one that has pulled it within a mere six games of the Wild Card lead. A scant couple of weeks down the road and a playoff spot doesn’t seem quite as farfetched. more

Oh baby! That was a seriously fine All-Star game last week. Sure, the whole “this time it counts” mantra is tiresome, but these past three midseason classics have really lived up to the title and been worth watching. The game has evolved into more than just a stupid fly-by followed by four hours of boredom. more