C Jeff Mathis, who turns 34 in March, is a free agent, and he likely will return to Miami. He doesn't hit much at all (.601 OPS), but he is a good leader in the clubhouse and is sound defensively and working with pitchers. In fact, Marlins pitchers had an ERA of one run less when he was behind the plate as opposed to starter J.T. Realmuto.

C Jeff Mathis, who will likely start Sunday to give starter J.T. Realmuto a rest, has had a solid year defensively. With Mathis behind the plate, Marlins pitchers have a 3.24 ERA. With the 25-year-old Realmuto catching, Marlins pitchers have a 4.17 ERA. In addition, the 33-year-old Mathis has just one passed ball and three errors in 34 starts this year. Realmuto has seven passed balls and 10 errors in 121 starts.

C Jeff Mathis, who started on Saturday but was on the bench on Sunday, has a good record defensively. With him behind the plate, Marlins pitchers have a 2.98 ERA. With starter J.T. Realmuto catching, Marlins pitchers have a 4.16 ERA. Mathis, 33, is a feeble hitter with a .563 career OPS. To be fair, however, Mathis is on a bit of a tear in the second half, posting .854 OPS in 41 at-bats. In the first half, his OPS was .483.

C Jeff Mathis got the start on Wednesday instead of J.T. Realmuto. Entering Wednesday, Marlins pitchers had a 3.20 ERA with Mathis catching and a 4.22 ERA with Realmuto. And that trend continued on Wednesday as the Marlins got a 3-0 shutout.

C Jeff Mathis hit the third grand slam of his career Tuesday night. Two have come against the Padres. His previous grand slam against the Padres came June 30, 2013. Tuesday's homer was also his first of the season.

C Jeff Mathis was 1-for-3 with a single and a walk while making his 14th start of the season, catching LHP Justin Nicolina. His seventh-inning loaded the bases in front of pinch-hitter Justin Bour, whose grand slam tied the game at 5. "I thought the Mathis at-bat was huge," Miami manager Don Mattingly said. Mathis made his first start since June 3 and second since May 29, but Mattingly sees Mathis, a 12-year veteran, as a steadying presence. He's also a mentor," Mattingly said. "He's a guy everybody on the staff is comfortable throwing to. He brings a lot of different aspects. Kind of a perfect backup guy."

C Jeff Mathis drove in his first run of the season with an RBI single in the sixth inning of the first game Saturday. He was hitting .179 in 28 at-bats and got the game off in the nightcap.

C Jeff Mathis made his second start of the season and got his first hit, a sixth-inning double. When starting catcher J.T. Realmuto is in the lineup, Marlins pitchers have a 4.88 ERA. In two starts with Mathis, Marlins pitchers have allowed a combined total of five runs, recording an ERA below .250. And that's the only real selling point for Mathis, one of the worst hitters in the majors who is devoid of speed and power. He makes his living defensively and by the way he handles pitchers.

C Jeff Mathis is back for his fourth year with the Marlins, and that's a very bad thing for the Miami offense. Mathis, 32, is a career .194 hitter with a .560 OPS. It didn't seem possible that Mathis could get any worse as a hitter, but that's what happened last year when he "hit" .161 with a .504 OPS. He was a free agent after last season, yet the Marlins brought him back, ostensibly for his defense and leadership skills. The fact that the Marlins can't find anyone better to make those 30-something starts as a backup catcher says a lot about the current state of the franchise.

C Jeff Mathis signed a one-year, $1.5 million free agent deal that will keep him with the Marlins. Mathis, 32, hit .161/.214/.290 with two homers and 12 RBIS in 32 games for Miami this year.

Mathis went 1-for-3 Friday in a loss to the Braves while making his third straight start behind the plate.

The veteran backstop has seen a boost in playing time with rookie J.T. Realmuto suffering from a bruise on his glove hand. Mathis is steady defensively, but is in the midst of a pathetic offensive campaign, slashing .121/.185/.138 over 58 at-bats this year. Even if he's continues to see playing time, Mathis is off the fantasy radar.

Mathis (finger) was activated from the disabled list Friday, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports.

For the corresponding transaction, fellow catcher Jhonathan Solano has been designated for assignment. Mathis will take over the backup role behind J.T. Realmuto.

Mathis (finger) is likely to be activated from the disabled list at some point during this weekend's series with the Rockies, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports.

Frisaro noted that nothing official has been announced by the team, but Mathis appears to be ready to return. His rehab stint started slowly with an 0-for-17 stretch, but he's since began to hit a bit better, collecting five hits over his last three games. He was, notably, moved down to Double-A Jacksonville to get a chance to work with former closer Steve Cishek as the reliever looks to work out his season-long issues in the minors. Mathis' return to the roster will bump Jhonatan Solano from the backup catcher role.

Mathis (finger) remains hitless through six rehab games with Double-A Jacksonville.

The backup catcher is 0-for-17 on his rehab assignment, but he's not really around for his bat anyway. It is unclear exactly when Mathis will be summoned to the big leagues, but his playing time behind rookie J.T. Realmuto will be limited regardless.

Mathis (finger) began a rehab assignment at Triple -A New Orleans on Sunday, Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post reports.

Mathis is trying to return from a fractured ring finger suffered in mid-April. Once he gets enough at-bats in to demonstrate that he's no longer bothered by the injury, the Marlins will likely bring him back to the parent club, where he'll serve as the backup catcher behind J.T. Realmuto.

Miami Marlins catcher Jeff Mathis began a rehab assignment at Triple-A New Orleans on Sunday while recovering from a finger injury, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Miami Marlins catcher Jeff Mathis began a rehab assignment at Triple-A New Orleans on Sunday while recovering from a finger injury, according to the Palm Beach Post. Mathis will serve as a backup to J.T. Realmuto when he is able to return.

Mathis (finger) will begin a rehab assignment over the weekend, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Mathis has been sidelined with a fractured finger since April 12, and was initially tagged with a 4-6 week timeline for recovery. His rehab appears to be right on track and Mathis should begin playing in minor league games in the coming days. When ready, Mathis will resume his role as the backup catcher behind J.T. Realmuto.

Mathis (finger) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday, Juan C. Rodriguez of the Miami Sun Sentinel reports.

Mathis and teammate Don Kelly both suffered fractured fingers in Sunday's game, but Mathis may have got the worst of it, as he is currently projected to have a 4-6 week timetable for return. The Marlins called up J.T. Realmuto from Triple-A New Orleans in a corresponding move, and he should resume the role of Jarrod Saltalamacchia's primary backup.

Mathis will miss four-to-six weeks due to a fractured finger suffered Sunday, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Mathis should be placed on the disabled list in the near future, with J.T. Realmuto the top candidate to replace him on the 25-man roster. Realmuto is considered one of the better prospects in the Marlins' minor league system, so a strong showing could make it difficult for Mathis to rejoin the roster.

Mathis suffered a fractured ring finger on his right hand Sunday, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Mathis is likely headed for a stint on the disabled list with the injury. Assuming that happens, the Marlins would probably recall J.T. Realmuto to take his place as the secondary catcher to Jarrod Saltalamacchia.