Marlins call up Heaney for Majors debut

The Marlins announced a bevy of roster moves Monday afternoon, but none bigger than this one -- top prospect Andrew Heaney is headed to the Majors.

The 23-year-old left-hander will immediately join the Marlins' starting rotation after the team designated veteran southpaw Randy Wolf for assignment.

Heaney, who was taken ninth overall in the 2012 Draft, was 7-2 with a 2.47 ERA, 79 strikeouts and 15 walks in 76 2/3 innings between Double-A Jacksonville and Triple-A New Orleans this season. He was proving particularly successful in his first taste of the Pacific Coast League, where he put up a 2.74 ERA, struck out 27 and walked only two in four starts (23 innings) for the Zephyrs.

Rated as the top left-handed pitching prospect in the game by MLB.com and No. 25 overall, Heaney possesses a fastball that sits in the low 90s, a sweeping slider that's seen as his best offering and a changeup that gives him a solid three-pitch mix. He's averaged about nine strikeouts per nine innings over 38 Minor League appearances and has shown nice control with a 2.1 career BB/9 rate. Both of those numbers have improved this season -- 9.3 and 1.8, respectively.

Heaney last pitched June 7 but was told that the Marlins, who stand one game behind Atlanta in the NL East with a 35-33 record, wanted to hold him back in order to preserve him deep into the fall. In 2013 Heaney was held out until May with a strained lat and pitched only 95 1/3 innings during the regular season -- a number he's already close to reaching in 2014.

"We're just being proactive with that fact that it's a long season. Right now our team is in the race, and they'd like to have the option to have him available to pitch in September," New Orleans manager Andy Haines recently told MiLB.com when asked about Heaney's innings total at Triple-A. "So I think it's smart to be proactive and not have this be an issue later in the season."

Heaney was told he'd pitch next for the Zephyrs on June 19, but obviously that will no longer happen. The Marlins' next opening in their rotation comes Friday at home against the Mets.

The Marlins also announced that No. 3 prospect Jake Marisnick, No. 6 prospect Anthony DeSclafani and first baseman Justin Bour would be joining Heaney in the Majors.

Marisnick played in 40 games for the Fish last season, batting .183 with a .478 OPS, but this will be his first time with the club this season. He owned a .264/.306/.404 slash line with six homers, 27 RBIs and 17 steals for New Orleans before the promotion.

DeSclafani returns to the Majors after making a pair of starts there in late May when Jose Fernandez went down with an elbow injury. The 24-year-old right-hander gave up seven runs on 13 hits over 11 1/3 innings in those starts and was later optioned but had shown improvement in New Orleans, going 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 21 strikeouts in four starts (21 1/3 innings) with the Zephyrs.

It didn't take long for Bour to return. He made his Major League debut with the Marlins earlier this month and went 5-for-13 with two RBIs and two runs scored over four games before being optioned last Wednesday. He owned a .330/.404/.580 slash line with 11 homers and 41 RBIs in 57 Triple-A games this season.

Besides Wolf, reliever/spot starter Kevin Slowey was also designated for assignment, infielder Donovan Solano was optioned to New Orleans and outfielder Christian Yelich (back) was moved to the disabled list to make room for the promoted foursome.