Chaska's Hand earns spot in Marlins bullpen

Chaska native Brad Hand has made the Marlins' Opening Day roster as a reliever. Hand, 24, was 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 20 innings this spring. The lefthander was 1-1 with a 3.05 ERA in seven games with the Marlins last season.

Former Twins pitcher Kevin Slowey, who was taken off the Marlins' 40-man roster following the 2013 season, is expected to make the Opening Day roster. Slowey was 0-0 with a 2.20 ERA in six appearances this spring, including three perfect innings against the Yankees on Friday. Slowey was 3-6 with a 4.11 ERA in 20 games for the Marlins last season.

• Former Twin Jeff Manship, who was a nonroster invitee to the Phillies spring training, made the Opening Day roster.

Manship was 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in six spring training appearances. He walked just two and struck out 16 in 20 innings.

Manship, 29, who was with the Twins from 2009-2012, was 0-5 with a 7.04 ERA with the Colorado Rockies last season.

• Former Twin Garrett Jones is expected to be the Marlins' regular first baseman. Jones hit .200 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 19 spring training games. Jones, who was with the Twins in 2007, spent the past five seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• The Braves are facing the possibility of losing another pitcher for the season as General Manager Frank Wren said Saturday righthander reliever Cory Gearrin has a serious injury to his right elbow.

Braves orthopedist Dr. Xavier Duralde found "ligament involvement" in Gearrin's elbow. Gearrin will see Dr. James Andrews next week for a second opinion. The Braves already have lost two starting pitchers for the year.

• The Giants' Tim Lincecum is expected to make his first scheduled start in the regular season despite getting hit in the left knee by a comebacker. On Friday, Lincecum was on the ground near the pitcher's mound writhing in pain after getting struck by a hard-hit grounder.

STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS