Marlins' Adam Conley: Appears to have claimed starting gig

Conley looks poised to open the season as the Marlins' No. 5 starter, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports.

Analysis:

Though manager Don Mattingly has yet to announce his fifth starter, the demotion of Justin Nicolino to Triple-A New Orleans on Tuesday likely means that Conley has claimed those duties, as his remaining competitor, Jose Urena, is preferred in long relief. Conley's longer track record of success at the big-league level was enough to give him in the edge for the starting gig, but Nicolino vastly outperformed him in spring training. As a result, Conley, who logged a 6.94 ERA and 1.89 WHIP in 11.2 innings in Grapefruit League play, may not have an especially long leash if his spring struggles carry over to the regular season.