NEW YORK -- Chances of Dan Straily pitching again this season were diminished on Tuesday when the Marlins right-hander experienced some discomfort while playing catch at Citi Field.
Straily, dealing with a left oblique strain, now faces the possibility of being done for the season.
"I know he wants to pitch," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "Wanting to and being able to are two different things. We'll just see. We're a ways away, and we don't have a long way to go."
Straily suffered the oblique strain on Sept. 7 at Pittsburgh, and Tuesday was the first time he threw since.
"First day he tried to throw," Mattingly said. "It was light. He was feeling nothing and when he played catch, and then he could feel it."
One of the veterans in a young rotation, Straily made 23 starts and posted a 5-6 record with a 4.12 ERA in 122 1/3 innings. The right-hander had been getting better as the season progressed. In five August starts, he had a 3.13 ERA, and in his lone start in September, he allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings at Pittsburgh before he was lifted due to the oblique strain.
"He has an oblique [strain], and those things usually take a while," Mattingly said. "He tried to throw today, and he was still feeling it. So, I don't know if there is a real, true timetable for him. Obviously, we're going to be cautious with him. I know he wants to pitch. Wanting to and being able to are two different things. We'll just see."
The Marlins had been going with a six-man rotation, and with Straily out, they will go with five, but have the flexibility to add another starter, if need be. Rookies Elieser Hernandez, Brett Graves and Ben Meyer are on the roster as relievers. Each has started.
Asked if Straily could be done for the season, Mattingly added: "I think it's a possibility. Nobody wants to give up on it yet. I think he'd like to pitch again. Again, we're going to try to use good sense."
Worth noting:
• As part of the 9/11 Tribute on Tuesday at Citi Field, the Marlins players and staff wore hats to honor the New York City Police and Fire departments.
Mattingly, who spent his entire playing career with the Yankees, reflected on the anniversary of the tragedies that took place on Sept. 11, 2001.
"You see it on the news," Mattingly said. "The different events going on. It's good to be a part of that in some small way, with the hats out here. It's good that we're having a day that we're still remember."
• The Marlins will start Trevor Richards in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader at Citi Field, which starts at 4:10 p.m. ET. In Game 2, Jeff Brigham will start. Brigham will be making his second big league start. The Marlins are grooming the right-hander as a starter, but in these final weeks the organization will also get a better indication if he profiles more as a reliever.