The Marlins' already thin catching options got considerably thinner over the weekend with the loss of Jeff Mathis to a broken collarbone. The veteran backstop took a foul tip off his shoulder on Saturday and now may be sidelined until late April.

With Mathis on the mend, the Marlins plan to explore all options in finding a temporary replacement, reports Joe Frisaro of MLB.com:

The Marlins are in the market for a backup catcher, and they are exploring all avenues. The club is open to a trade, or seeing what options become available when rosters are trimmed...

In the next couple of weeks, the Marlins also will give a look to several in-house candidates.

Rob Brantly, 23, put up solid numbers behind the plate in his brief big-league debut with the Marlins last year -- hitting .290/.372/.460 in 31 games -- so he should be able to hold the fort in terms of starting catching duties. Who the Fish will turn to when Brantly needs the day off is what is in the air at the moment.

The only other catcher on Miami's 40-man roster is youngster Kyle Skipworth, who has yet to see a minute of time above Double-A, so it's probable that the club will find their answer outside of the organization.

Former Marlin John Buck and Rockies backstop Ramon Hernandez have been bandied about in trade rumors of late, so perhaps Miami will look to them for help.