But this wasn't the standard off-day for Marte. You know, the one that comes after a day off he had the previous day, and the day before that, and so on. No, Marte's day off Saturday came after three consecutive starts, which has only happened twice this season.

Unlike his past opportunities, which have come few and far between, Marte did not let this recent surge in playing time go to waste. Before Friday's 0-for-4 night at the plate, the 24-year-old third baseman batted .333 (5-for-15) with two doubles and picked up his first RBI of the season during a four-start stint.

His average still stands at a bleak .160 and he has just that one RBI, but it's a start.

"We know he can hit the ball with some power and we know he has some raw ability, but [putting] the bat to the ball has been the issue," manager Eric Wedge said. "He's seemed to be getting to the ball better a bit lately. Hopefully, he can run with that."

Not that Marte's surprised by the lack of playing time. He knew coming out of Spring Training that Casey Blake would be the everyday third baseman and he was only on the team because he was out of options and the club didn't want to risk losing him to waivers.

To Marte, a disappointment since he was acquired from the Red Sox for Coco Crisp in 2006, the success is no coincidence.

"The more playing time that I get, the more comfortable I've been," Marte said. "It's not easy to go out there after a week of not playing. I'm not used to that. I always played every day my whole career."

Marte's added playing time has come as the result of the struggles of outfielder Franklin Gutierrez and first baseman Ryan Garko. As the season continues, Wedge said he will try to balance out the three struggling hitters' playing time, which could collectively increase if Blake is dealt before the July 31 trade deadline.

"You can't go to 0-60 with these guys, so it was a good day to give [Marte] off," said Wedge, who assured Marte would be back in the starting lineup Sunday. "You just have to balance it the best you can. You want to put the best lineup out there, but you also want to move forward as a ballclub."