DENVER -- Marlins first baseman Justin Bour's return from the disabled list was pushed back after a rehab appearance with Triple-A New Orleans on Wednesday. Bour has been on the DL since July 6 with a right ankle sprain, and the club had anticipated he would be ready for this weekend's series in Colorado.
The Marlins want Bour to undergo physical therapy at their Spring Training complex in Jupiter, Fla., in hopes of getting him back on the roster Monday when the Marlins return home for a series against the Giants.
"Not great," manager Don Mattingly said about Bour's current state of health. "We've kind of pushed him to San Francisco, going back home. It seems like every time we play him, something else is sore, something else is tight, so obviously we're not physically ready to go. He actually was swinging the bat better his last game. But we sent him back to Jupiter, back to our physical trainer there to take some days to get him healthy, and then we'll talk about San Francisco."
Mattingly continues to have concerns about Bour's ability to come back ready to play full games on a daily basis.
"It's the National League," Mattingly said. "You can't come back here and not be able to play. It's tough to have a guy that you can't use. He has to be able to play first. He doesn't have to play it every day, but he needs to be able to play it and play it for nine innings. It's not fair to bring a guy back if he's not playing 100 percent. If he's coming off the DL, he should be able to play 100 percent."
Bour was hitting .268 (57-for-213) with 15 home runs and 46 RBIs before the injury, and his power would make a big impact in the middle of the Marlins' lineup.
In five rehab games, he has gone 2-for-18 -- including a 1-for-5 outing Wednesday -- and the original ankle sprain has not been the main issue.
"It's been quad, it's been hips, it's been all kinds of stuff," Mattingly said. "It's general body, trouble getting adjusted.
"That's part of the reason for getting him back to Miami and getting him the physical therapy side of it. If we're comfortable that he can physically handle the load of playing a game, then we'll just go with it."