Olsen's bullpen session

JUPITER, Fla. -- It's been a while since throwing 35 pitches has felt so good for Scott Olsen.

The Marlins' left-hander, who is competing for a rotation spot, is returning from elbow inflammation that sidelined him the second half of last season.

On Tuesday, Olsen felt great throwing 35 pitches to catcher Miguel Olivo.

"There was life behind the ball today," said Olsen, who was bothered by a bone spur. "It's a good sign that my arm is coming back strong."

Manager Joe Girardi said Olsen's bullpen session "looked great."

Building up arm strength is Step 1 for Olsen as he expects to battle for a spot on the Opening Day roster. He began throwing bullpen sessions in late January, and he was throwing off the mound every three or four days. Now he says he should be on cycle to pitch every other day, like the rest of the pitchers.

"I should be ready to go. I felt good," he said. "Today was a good thing to build on."

Olsen mixed in some changeups, a key pitch for him to develop. And he threw a couple of sliders without feeling any discomfort. Megrew in mix: Left-handed relievers are tough to come by. When you're a 6-foot-6 lefty, you are bound to get a shot.

The Marlins are hoping they've uncovered a relief gem in Michael Megrew, a Rule 5 Draft pick out of the Dodgers system.

Rebounding from Tommy John surgery in September 2004, Megrew threw a total of nine innings of Minor League ball last year.

As a Rule 5 choice, Megrew has to stay on the Marlins' 25-man roster the entire season or else he will be returned to the Dodgers.

"I'm excited," the left-hander said. "Obviously, I'm happy to be here. It's a huge opportunity to be with these guys. I'm pretty much going to work as hard as I can to make this squad."

Regaining his velocity takes time. But he feels his arm strength is improving.

"The last month or so, I've been pretty much 100 percent healthy," he said. "I threw three bullpens last week."

Precautionary MRIs: Reliever Kerry Ligtenberg, who had an MRI taken on his right elbow Monday, has yet to take part in any drills. The MRI was part of his physical because he's had some previous arm trouble. To better read the test, dye was injected into area. Ligtenberg is expected to throw in another day or two.

Infielder Mike Kinkade, who is getting some work in with the catchers, had an MRI taken Monday on his left ankle as a precaution because he had surgery on the same ankle in 1998. Kinkade is taking part in drills.

Fish bites: Pitcher Adam Bostick, who has yet to report to Spring Training, was scheduled to arrive in Jupiter on Tuesday. ... Four Marlins are listed on Baseball Prospectus' Top 50 list of 2006 prospects. Outfielder Jeremy Hermida is ranked second behind Tampa Bay's Delmon Young. Pitcher Yusmeiro Petit is 33rd, first baseman Mike Jacobs is 42nd and catcher/outfielder Josh Willingham is 48th. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez and pitcher Anibal Sanchez are honorable mentions. ... Girardi is in the unique situation of having played against several of his current players. One pitcher he faced more than a dozen times is Brian Moehler. Lifetime against Moehler, Girardi was 5-for-19 (.263) with a double.

http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...t=.jsp&c_id=fla