Furcal to take time before being activated from DL

MIAMI -- Getting Rafael Furcal back from the disabled list as quickly as possible isn't the Marlins' priority. Making sure the 36-year-old is healthy is.

Because Furcal is on the DL retroactive to March 21, he technically could be reinstated as early as Saturday. The Marlins aren't seeing that as a realistic target date.

Furcal strained his left hamstring on March 15, and he felt some discomfort late last week.

"We're not looking at this short-sighted," Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said. "This is a player who missed all of last year. We want to make sure, beyond health, he gets the rhythm and timing and at-bats through extended spring training and the rehab to make sure he is prepared."

The Marlins are mindful Furcal also missed all of last year due to right elbow surgery, and he had 18 at-bats in Grapefruit League play this spring.

Also being taken into consideration is the Marlins' first road trip -- from April 8-13 -- will be in cold weather, at Washington and Philadelphia, respectively.

It appears the earliest Furcal could return would be around April 14. The Marlins have Jeff Baker, Derek Dietrich and Donovan Solano on the roster to cover at second base in the short term.

"We haven't really put a definitive time line on him and his return to play," Hill said. "Obviously, he knows his body as well as anyone."

Making sure Furcal is healthy is foremost.

"When he steps into the lineup again, we hope it's for the rest of the season, and we don't have any nagging recurrences," Hill said.