Hoover called up, in the starting lineup

MIAMI -- It's been a pretty good couple of days for Paul Hoover.

On Monday morning, the 32-year-old catcher found out he was once again being called up from Triple-A Albuquerque to rejoin the Marlins. Then, as he walked into the clubhouse on Tuesday, he noticed he was getting the start against the team that drafted him.

When catcher Mike Rabelo was sent down two days after the Marlins' series finale against the Mariners, Florida called up Hoover and immediately inserted him into the starting lineup as it began a three-game home series against the Rays.

"I'm happy," Hoover said. "It's always nice to see your name in the lineup.

"I just try to stay ready, do the best I can and prepare myself before every game as if I were going to start."

Hoover, who is 3-for-7 in two games with the Fish this season, has already been called up and sent back down to the Minors twice since the start of the season. The first time it was to allow Rabelo to recover from a sprained left knee at the beginning of the year. On the second occasion, he was the No. 3 catcher on the Marlins' depth chart.

But now that he comes to the club as the immediate backup catcher, the question at this point is: Can he be a permanent fixture behind Matt Treanor?

"Anybody who can come in and play well is going to get their chance to stay," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He's a good catcher. He's solid behind the plate, knows how to work well with pitchers, and he can be a real asset to this team."

Hoover was selected by the Rays in the 23rd round of the 1997 First-Year Player Draft. After bouncing around with the Rays, Marlins, Expos and Rays again, the Columbus, Ohio, native found himself back with the Fish in 2006. In his previous two years with the Marlins, Hoover appeared in seven games, hitting .385 (5-for-13).

Gonzalez said Hoover provides versatility to a team that's chock-full of it. The Marlins' skipper said he can play almost any position in the infield, and even the outfield on occasion.

But Hoover has another trait that's even more unique.

Because both of his parents are deaf, Hoover -- who is not hearing impaired -- is great at sign language and reading lips. So when a pitching coach goes out to the mound to speak to his hurler, Hoover can sometimes pick up what's being said.

"I'm pretty observant when the pitching coach goes out to the mound," Hoover said. "Sometimes, I can make out what they're saying, and I'll know how they're going to pitch for me."