Florida Marlins

Not feeling quite back to full speed, the two-time Gold Glove-winning second baseman -- who has been slowed by a left quadriceps strain -- originally said that he would take Friday off and see how he felt on Saturday.

But an unexpected circumstance put Castillo back in the starting lineup for the first time since May 9.

Shortstop Alex Gonzalez has come down with an irritation in his left eye -- basically, "pink eye" -- and he was scratched from the starting lineup.

Gonzalez actually woke up with the reddish eye on Wednesday morning in Los Angeles. He played in that afternoon game, and made a tremendous play in the seventh inning that helped preserve the Marlins' 8-3 win. Covering a great distance, he ran down a Milton Bradley pop fly that drifted behind third base.

What made that play even more sensational is that Gonzalez was looking over his shoulder with the infected eye.

Gonzalez was treated with an antibiotic and could be back in the lineup on Saturday.

"Gonzo has a little eye irritation," said manager Jack McKeon. "We're going to see if he's all right."

*Lowell feeling fine:* Two days after taking a foul pop on the nose, Mike Lowell was back starting at third base on Friday.

During that same Wednesday afternoon game in Los Angeles, Lowell was blinded by the sun at Dodger Stadium and struck in the face trying to catch a foul near the Dodgers' dugout in the second inning.

Although Lowell was wearing sunglasses, he was looking directly into the sun while trying to make the play.

"I've lost a ball in the sun before," said Lowell, who ended up with a bloody nose. "But never one I've had a bead on and just lost at the last second. It's a helpless feeling. I stayed on it, for I thought that it was going to come out of the sun. I guess normal people duck out of the way."

The way Lowell hung in there impressed center fielder Juan Pierre.

"Nobody likes to take one off the face," said Pierre. "He showed a lot of character. I know a lot of guys who wouldn't try to make that play."

Lowell has watched the scary replay, and feels fortunate to have escaped greater injury.

"If it hit a little higher, I break my nose," he said. "If it gets a little lower, I lose some teeth, so either scenario is worse than this one. So I'm fine. I saw the replay. It looked as though it hit my cheek, but I didn't feel it on the cheek. I felt it all in my nose and my mouth. I'm just glad it worked out."

*Rehab for Mota:* Reliever Guillermo Mota threw to batters on Friday afternoon, and remains on track to come off the disabled list in the middle of next week.

Before coming off the DL, however, the right-hander will likely throw a rehab assignment in the next few days against Minor Leaguers at the club's complex in Jupiter.

Mota, on the disabled list since May 1 (retroactive to April 24), is recovering from elbow inflammation.

Todd Jones has three saves filling in for Mota, who may not automatically regain the closer spot when he returns.

*Alfonseca update:* On Monday, Antonio Alfonseca will undergo an MRI to determine when he will begin a throwing schedule.

On the disabled list with a stress fracture in his right elbow, Alfonseca was placed on the 15-day disabled list on April 21. At that time the veteran right-hander was projected to miss at least two months.

Alfonseca is conditioning at the stadium, and was doing cardio exercises on Friday.

He said that if the results of the MRI are favorable, he will be told when he can begin throwing.

*Coming up:* Despite pitching effectively, A.J. Burnett has dropped three straight decisions and is 3-4 with a 3.05 ERA. The power pitcher looks to reverse that trend on Saturday as he takes the mound against the Devil Rays. Tampa Bay will go with left-hander Mark Hendrickson, who is 1-2 with a 4.46 ERA