Javier Vazquez turned in his usual middling outing against the Reds on Friday, allowing four runs on four hits and three walks in six innings of work in the Marlins' 7-6 victory.

He struck out three and allowed two home runs, getting tagged by Jay Bruce and Jeremy Hermida. Vazquez is now 2-2 despite owning a 6.39 ERA and 1.82 WHIP, but has looked better of late, with his fastball reportedly having as much life this evening as it's had all season. He still hasn't posted the results the Marlins were expecting they signed him, but there's reason to believe they still may be coming.

Javier Vazquez touched 91 mph on the radar gun during Saturday's start.

It's a noticeable improvement from the 86-88 mph that he had been throwing. Vazquez had seven days of rest in between his last two starts, and it appears his arm bounced back nicely. His results, though, while better, still weren't great, particularly when it comes to the five walks. We'll need to see more improvement and a sustained higher velocity in order to trust him in fantasy.

Javier Vazquez allowed three runs in six innings Saturday in a loss to the Rockies.

Vazquez only gave up four hits, but he walked five batters and the Rockies' tough lineup made him pay for the lack of command. The veteran right-hander will take a 6.52 ERA and 2.02 WHIP into his next scheduled start against the Reds. He should remain on fantasy benches until he shows improvement.

The Marlins think Javier Vazquez's drop in velocity in his last start was the result of a mechanical flaw.

"I think he's not loading like he was doing before with his lower body," manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "He went from 91 miles per hour [in his start in Houston] to 86, 87 [on Friday]. In my opinion, I don't think that's an arm problem. I think that's a mechanical problem." Pitching coach Randy St. Claire is working with Vazquez to correct the issue. Rodriguez's hopes for Vazquez are still high despite a 7.43 ERA and 6/11 K/BB ratio over his first three starts. "I don't think he's been close yet to what he's capable of doing," Rodriguez said. "And he's still keeping us in the game. He's going to help us a lot during the season."

Javier Vazquez allowed three runs over five innings as part of a no-decision in Friday's win over the Phillies.

Vazquez walked four and struck out just one while topping out at just 87.8 mph on the radar gun. He now has a 7.43 ERA and 6/11 K/BB ratio over his first three starts this season. It doesn't look like his velocity is coming back anytime soon, so he should be avoided in most formats right now.

Javier Vazquez's Marlins tenure got off to a disastrous start on Sunday, as the aging righty allowed seven runs (four earned) on six hits and five walks in just 2 1/3 innings in Florida's loss to the Mets.

He allowed both Willie Harris and Ike Davis to take him deep. Obviously it's just one game, but it's clear that simply escaping the American League East won't be a cure-all for Vazquez's 2010 woes. Stay patient, but don't be surprised if he never comes close to resembling the pitcher he was for the Braves in 2009.

Javier Vazquez held the Cardinals to one run in 6 2/3 innings in the Marlins' 4-2 victory Tuesday.

Vazquez hasn't really impressed with his fastball this month, but at least he hasn't been overmatched either. The Marlins should be happy if he gives them 200 innings and an ERA in the neighborhood of 4.20. He'll get the Mets in his first regular-season start.

Javier Vazquez won Thursday despite allowing six runs in four-plus innings against the Red Sox.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jacoby Ellsbury homered off Vazquez, who was making his second start since missing time with a sore elbow. Given the lack of top-notch velocity, we're not all that optimistic about a bounce-back season for Vazquez this year.

Back on the mound, Javier Vazquez allowed two runs and three hits in four innings Saturday against a Cardinals split-squad.

Vazquez, who was down with a sore elbow, struck out one and walked two today. Expectations are that he'll open the season in Florida's rotation, but with his velocity still down, don't expect a return to 2009 form. The Marlins should be content if he's just an average third or fourth starter.

Javier Vazquez (elbow) is scheduled to start Saturday against the Cardinals.

Vazquez was scratched from his scheduled start Monday due to soreness in his throwing elbow, but it doesn't appear to be much of a concern.

Javier Vazquez (mild elbow soreness) has been scratched from a scheduled start Monday.

The Marlins have been piling up mild injuries during camp. Vazquez' injury doesn't sound serious, but deserves monitoring.

In an effort to improve his velocity, Marlins pitching coach Randy St. Claire has tried to get Javier Vazquez to use his lower body more in his delivery.

According to St. Claire, it's the same delivery he used with Atlanta in 2009. The experiment has just begun, but the early results are encouraging. "In his last two games, I've seen a better lower-half," said St. Claire. "His numbers started to pick up, where he is touching 90-91, after it was 86-87 in his first game. You can see it with your eyes. You can see it on the video. I'm going to work with him to keep that feeling that this is the delivery." We're already optimistic that Vazquez will have more success in the National League, but he has a chance to be a real bargain if he can rediscover his lost velocity.

Javier Vazquez gave up one run over four innings against the Nationals on Wednesday.

Vazquez gave up four hits -- three of them doubles -- while striking out three, walking none and hitting a batter. He has allowed just two runs over seven innings of work so far this spring, which is nice, but we're more interested to see where he is on the radar gun.

Javier Vazquez yielded one run over three innings Friday against the Mets.

Vazquez scattered three hits while fanning three and walking none. Of greater importance, he topped out at around 90 mph on his fastball and sat in the high 80s for most of the afternoon. That's better than where he was during his appearance against the University of Miami on Sunday, but his velocity will likely need need to sit in the low 90s in order for him to be an impact fantasy starter again.

Javier Vazquez topped out at 88 mph Sunday while throwing two scoreless innings against the University of Miami.

It's just his first outing, but it's not a very good sign. Vazquez's velocity dropped sharply last summer, and he probably needs to get back to throwing in the low-90s if he's going to post a sub-4.00 ERA for Florida.

Javier Vazquez started and pitched two hitless innings Sunday, but the Marlins ended up losing the University of Miami 9-8.

After Vazquez struck out three of the six hitters he faced, five Marlins pitchers, all of whom are expected to open the season in the minors, combined to give up eight hits and walk 11 in seven innings. Brad Hand had the worst outing in the group, surrendering five runs -- four earned -- in 1 1/3 innings.

Marlins signed RHP Javier Vazquez to a one-year, $7 million contract.

Vazquez also receives a full no-trade clause and the team has agreed to not offer him arbitration next winter. The 34-year-old right-hander was an outright disaster with the Yankees this past season, posting a 5.32 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 157 1/3 innings, seeing his strikeout rate decrease from 9.8 K/9 with the Braves in 2009 to 6.9 K/9. He'll be a popular choice as a rebound candidate with a return to the National League, but a lot may depend on his velocity, which has been trending downward in recent seasons. He has a lot to prove.

The contract between the Marlins and Javier Vazquez is worth $7 million and includes a full no-trade clause, according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

A physical is scheduled for later this week. This is a very savvy move for the Marlins, who are making a favorable calculated risk that Vazquez will bounce back from a terrible 2010 with a move back to the National League. The no-trade clause isn't much of a concession, because odds are that he'd waive it to get into a pennant race late in the summer if Florida was hopelessly out contention. The 34-year-old Vazquez posted a 5.32 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 31 appearances -- 26 starts -- for the Yankees this past season, but he posted a 2.87 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 219-plus innings for the Braves in 2009 and is a proven innings eater.

The contract between the Marlins and Javier Vazquez will be worth between $6-7 million, according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

A spectacular contract for the Marlins and one wonders if Vazquez' desire to play closer to his family in Puerto Rico led him to accept a deal lower than what others were offering. Vazquez could have simply accepted the Yankees' arbitration offer to get slight raise over the $11.5 million salary that he earned in 2010, but apparently his desire to flee New York outweighed those financial considerations. The 34-year-old Vazquez posted a 5.32 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 31 appearances -- 26 starts -- for the Yankees this past season, but he received NL Cy Young Award votes just a year ago with a 2.87 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 219-plus innings for the Braves. He should be a solid fantasy value in spring drafts.

The Marlins and Javier Vazquez have agreed on one-year contract pending a physical, a source told FoxSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi.

The 34-year-old Vazquez posted an ugly 5.32 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 31 appearances -- 26 starts -- for the Yankees this past season, but he was the recipient of NL Cy Young Award votes just a year ago with a 2.87 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 219-plus innings for the Braves. Terms of the contract haven't been released, but it appears as though Florida has secured a huge bounce back candidate at a very reasonable price. Vazquez was offered arbitration by the Yankees, so New York will receive a sandwich pick once the deal becomes official.