"Whether Hanley Ramirez is performing up to his superstar standard or not, manager Jack McKeon says the Marlins miss him. The team's records when Ramirez is in and out of the starting lineup seem to suggest the same thing: 50-39 with and 5-23 without.

That doesn't bode well for the Marlins. After Wednesday's game against the Braves – their seventh straight loss – they placed Ramirez on the disabled list. He'll miss this weekend's home series against the Giants and three more next week in Colorado. Ramirez is eligible to come back for the start of a four-game series at San Diego Thursday.

"We need him," McKeon said. "It's a difference in our ball club when we have him in there, whether he's hitting like he used to or not. He's still a guy they fear and a guy that can break loose any time."

No question opponents have to respect Ramirez's talent, but the aforementioned records may be as much a function of the competition as his presence. Of the Marlins' 89 games with Ramirez, 46 have been against teams with sub-.500 records. The Marlins are 28-18 in those games.

With Ramirez against teams .500 or better through Wednesday, the Marlins are 22-21. That includes a 7-3 mark against the Mets, who were 58-58 heading into Thursday's game against thePadres."