Paul Lo Duca, Dallas McPherson Wandering Desert

There's nothing better to awaken a hitter like wandering in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights, if former major leaguers Paul Lo Duca and Dallas McPherson are any indication.

No sooner than being cut by the Nationals for lack of productivity, the one-time Dodgers star catcher arrived at Triple A Albuquerque with a flourish, knocking out 11 hits in his first 26 at-bats for a .423 average. If Lo Duca keeps it up, he should gain some attention from Marlins front office executives, who are carrying him as a deep reserve during the ongoing pennant race.

But not necessarily.

The Marlins have been content to let McPherson -- the former Angels third baseman of the future -- waste away in the minors all season; this despite his 40 homers, three triples, 17 doubles, 70 walks and 91 RBI in just 399 at-bats.

Run production in the Pacific Coast League must be somewhat discounted, as the desert air tends to inflate offensive numbers. Moreover, McPherson also has been held back because he is playing behind Jorge Cantu, who is in the midst of a career year playing third base with the parent club.

Playing in Albuquerque, McPherson labors under the terms of a minor league contract, a distinct discount from what he would be paid if called to the majors. The team, however, reportedly has denied that money is a consideration, despite the fact that McPherson might have come in handy from time to time throughout the year, most notably when a designated hitter was needed during interleague play.

Dallas McPherson Passed Over Despite 23 Homers

If ever there was a golden opportunity to give slugger Dallas McPherson even a momentary return to the majors, it would have been when the Marlins were in need of a designated hitter while visiting Oakland for interleague play.

Yet McPherson -- switched from the outfield back to third base for Triple A Albuquerque -- was rejected again, despite his hitting another pair of home runs during the past week to lead the Pacific Coast League with 23, with an outstanding .300 batting average.

The Marlins continue to look at McPherson and other callup candidates, if for no other reason than to find players who can help reduce the team's .976 fielding percentage, worst in the majors, and number of errors, now at 65, second only to Texas.

Ironically, McPherson's primary rival is corner infielder Jorge Cantu, who has a hot bat but leads the team with 14 errors. Cantu's fielding alone would seem to be enough of a reason to give McPherson a shot, but McPherson has 11 errors for Albuquerque, though the total may be misleading as those miscues came when McPherson was learning a new position in left field.

It will be interesting to see whether McPherson's number of errors are more tolerable now that he has moved back to third base, and whether the move will raise his value. If not, indications are McPherson will continue to labor in obscurity until an injury or the September roster expansion changes his outlook.

Latest Dallas McPherson Moonshot Gives Him 21

Marlins Triple A farmhand Dallas McPherson's most recent homer -- a more than 450-foot moonshot off former major leaguer Brandon Duckworth -- helped raise his OPS to more than 1.000 and his Pacific Coast League leading home run total to 21.

Yet McPherson's chances for promotion appear blocked, with no spot for him on the major league roster, even after he was moved from third base to the outfield.

Though the 6-foot-4, 240-pound left-handed hitter's more than .300 batting average and prodigious power are at least mildly inflated in the western desert air, McPherson clearly could have been starting for any number of major league teams by now if only he had not been seriously sidelined by various injuries in recent years, most notably spinal trouble.

McPherson has two homers in his last five home games, the last one flying well over the flagpoles past the 410-foot marker in center field, and the previous one landing on top of a grass embankment well beyond the right field fence.

Dallas McPherson Awaits Return to Show

As long as the team is playing well, the Marlins likely can be expected to avoid burning an option on slugging minor league third baseman-turned-outfielder Dallas McPherson, despite McPherson's prodigious play in Albuquerque.

Though the Marlins will face Kansas City at home this week in interleague action, a designated hitter will not be required until June 13 when the Marlins will cross Alligator Alley to face cross-state rival Tampa Bay on American League turf at St. Petersburg.

It may not be until then that manager Fredi Gonzalez takes a serious look at promoting McPherson, who has hit his prime at 27 and is pounding Triple A pitchers with a home run approximately every 10 at-bats, a batting average that has flirted with .300 and an on-base average approaching .400.

Though corner reserve Wes Helms figures to face lefties when a designated hitter is needed, McPherson would be an ideal, speculative option against righties if he can continue his torrid pace.

McPherson still needs to show why the Angels took him as the 57th overall pick in the 2001 draft and regarded him so highly that he was able to push aside veteran Troy Glaus at Los Angeles. Regrettably, however, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound McPherson's meteoric rise was curtailed after various injuries, the most serious of which required spinal surgery.

McPherson's services were considered by at least four teams after he came back from rehabilitation, but it was only Florida with a vacancy at third base that was willing to take a chance on signing him. So far, he has not disappointed.