Here are a couple items of note out of the NL East, where the Phillies sit atop the division with a five-game lead over the Braves entering Saturday's games:
- Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez is probably not in danger of losing his job, according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com (via Twitter). Marlins brass relieved hitting coach John Mallee of his duties earlier this month in an effort to shake things up, leading to speculation that Rodriguez could be next if the Fish don't pick things up. Rodriguez was hired on a full-time basis in November; he finished 2010 as their interim skipper in the wake of Fredi Gonzalez's dismissal.
- Braves second baseman Dan Uggla is unlikely to be demoted despite his offensive struggles, writes David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Uggla, who signed a five-year, $62MM extension after being acquired by Atlanta in a trade this offseason, can refuse a minor league assignment since he has five years' service time, according to O'Brien.
- Nationals manager Jim Riggleman deserves to have his 2012 option picked up and an extension on top of that, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). The Nats sit at one game under .500 after Saturday's win over the O's, particularly impressive considering they've been without Stephen Strasburg and Ryan Zimmerman for much of the season, as Heyman notes.
