GROWING UP IN THE DOMINICAN

• Furcal says his father, Silvino, a retired cab and bus driver, played baseball back in the Dominican. So did his brothers. Lorenzo Furcal played in the Oakland organization and Manuel was in the Seattle chain. Neither brother made it to the Majors. But Rafael says all of them (including his Dad) were fast.

• Rafael was raised in Loma de Cabrera, a small town of 6,000 people near the Haitian border. Their home had two bedrooms. He was more blessed than most of his friends in the tiny town. Many of his friends had dirt floors and no electricity.
  

  Loma de Cabrera is a dusty village of less than 7,000 split by the Dajabon River -- a river most locals know as the rio masacre because its shallow waters have frequently flowed red with blood from massacres dating back more than 300 years, to when French and Spanish colonizers fought along its banks.

• Braves scout Felix Francisco spotted him when Furcal's high school coach reported to the scout that he had a good prospect. Rafael got a $5,000 bonus and used the money to buy a car for his parents.

• His mother, a school teacher for 33 years, taught him culinary skills that helped him immensely while being so far away from home, while he was in the minors. He cooks up superb red beans and rice. But he can cook up lots more stuff: chicken, beef, vegetables—he is a very good chef.

• Rafael is the youngest of Silvino and Aura Furcal's four children. In 1999, his oldest brother, Jose, who lived in the Dominican, commited suicide at age 34. He had a beautiful daughter and a great job as an engineer.
  
  "I think about him every day. He did so much for me," Rafael said. "He and my other brothers, Manny and Lorenzo, always made sure I was OK. They always made sure I always had a glove, a bat and shoes. Ever since I was 3, that's all I wanted to do, was be a baseball player. Nothing else. It's all I ever wanted."
  
  Rafael does not like to discuss the matter of his brother's suicide. "I don't want to remember that," he said. When he didn't have a baseball, Rafael would use the head from his sister's doll. Or, he would use the "ball" out of cannister of roll-on deodorant.
  
  Jose was one of Rafael's biggest supporters through his youth, the older brother hitting countless grounders and putting young Rafael through various baseball drills. Often, they would get up before dawn, like at 4:30 a.m. for training runs through the streets of Lome de Cabrera.
  
  "There are many things in life that happen to family members. Those things are tough for us to take as human beings," Furcal said in 2007. "They are out of your control. Losing my brother, someone I grew up with, that hurts so much. He was like a second father to me. That moment my entire outlook changed forever. I did a complete turnaround. It was a death that was completely unexpected where we didn't know why he did it or why it happened. I was depressed."

• In 2000, Rafael moved his parents from the Dominican to Atlanta midway through his rookie Major League season.

• Rafael is always the first player out of the clubhouse for pregame drills. He works up a sweat taking ground balls, then goes full-tilt in the batting cage and on the bases. You will then see him signing autographs and chatting with the fans, showing the same smile that never leaves his face while on the field. "I love baseball," Furcal says. "My whole family plays baseball. It is my life. There is nothing else I would want to do than play baseball."

• In his spare time, he likes to spend time with his wife, Glenny and his two kids, daughter Ashley, from a previous relationship, and his son, Rafaels Jr., and one other son, via Glenny. On the road he will sleep or listen to Mernegue music, or hip-hop or rock.
  
  The fact that his sons enjoy baseball so much is very meaningful to Rafael, because he wants baseball to be a shared passion between them. It is also a way that he bonds with his kids.

• He likes action movies. "Lots of kick-boxing with Steven Seagal," Furcal said.

• He is very enthusiastic and has a great sense of humor.

• Rafael can beat you any way offensively and defensively, except with a homer.

• Furcal was named the South Atlantic League's Most Outstanding Major League Prospect after the 1999 season. He won the loop's batting title, and led the league in stolen bases.

• In the Dominican Winter League after the 1999 campaign, Furcal led in on-base percentage and runs.

• He has a great work ethic and his ears are always open to instruction/suggestions from coaches and veteran teammates. He routinely shows up 5 1/2 hours before game time, ready to practice his bunts or take extra batting practice.

• He refuses to have a TV in his apartment, believing that he can learn English much quicker by communication and reading.
  
  HOW OLD IS RAFAEL?

• The same week of the DUI, HBO ran a special report by reporter Brian Goldberg that stated Furcal was three years older than is listed above. Rafael was irritated and said his Mom was sending his birth certificate from the Dominican.
  
  "I'm from a family of five, four boys and one girl. My sister is 23 years old. I'm the youngest," he said. But his true age ended up being just like HBO said—two years older than had Rafael said.

• Furcal aged a couple of years before 2002 spring training. Actually, he got caught with a discrepancy in his birth certificate while trying to leave the Dominican Republic. Increased border scrutiny by U.S. officials after September 11, combined with new documentation requirements by the Major League Baseball office caused visa problems with several Latin players.
  
  While playing in a Dominican youth league, Furcal said a coach in 1996 first suggested postdating his birthdate. Some Major League organizations will summarily bypass a prospect after he is 16, the scouting wisdom holding that after that age, bad playing habits are too hard to break. Furcal agreed, rolling his year of birth from 1978 to 1980. The Braves signed him later that year. "That's what the guy told me," Furcal said. "He said if you want to play baseball, you have to change your age. So that's what I did. Because I wanted to play."

• The 2000 National Leagur Rookie of the Year, he was the first middle-infielder since Dodger Steve Sax (1982) to win it. And he was the first Dominican since Raul Mondesi in 1994.

• In 2001, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (CAR-Braves) retired Rafael's uniform number (2). He had helped the team to the Carolina League championship in 1999.

• In 2002, Rafael told Gretchen Kaney of ChopTalk, the Braves monthly magazine, that during the season, he lives in an apartment near Lenox Square on Peachtree Road. He lives alone. "I know how to cook, but I never do. I always eat at restaurants," Furcal said. "I really like Santo Domingo on Jimmy Carter Boulevard, and I often go to the Cheesecake Factory in Buckhead. I love the food there, and it's close to my apartment."

• In 2002, Furcal built a house for his parents in Lomas de Cabrera. "The house will have five bedrooms, each one with its own bathroom. On the third floor, we're putting in a 'fun' room for a pool table and other games. That's where I'll put my framed jerseys and all my trophies and awards," he said, laughing.

• Asked why he points to the sky after he gets a hit, Rafael explained, "Well, it's a matter of habit. My parents always took me to church and taught me the symbols and ways of showing gratitude to God. So, I do this as a way of saying thanks to God, for allowing me to be here and play this game."

• On August 10, 2003, Furcal became the 12th player in Major League history to turn an unassisted triple play when he single-handedly snuffed out a fifth inning rally by the St. Louis Cardinals in their 3-2 win over the Braves. "I didn't know right away," Furcal said. "I wasn't thinking of trying to get three outs by myself, I was just trying to get outs."
  
  With runners on first and second, Furcal made a leaping grab of pitcher Woody Williams liner. The runners were going on a 1-1 pitch, and Furcal stepped on second base to double up Mike Matheny before tagging out Orlando Palmeiro as he made a futile attempt to scamper back to first.
  
  TWO DUIs

• Shortly after 5:00 a.m. on June 10, 2000, Furcal was charged with a DUI and underage consumption of alcohol. He ran into a raised median, damaging the cover of his car's oil pan. He then drove to a nearby Kroger supermarket and purchased oil, then tried to get his car started in the parking lot. His agent, Paul Kinzer, said that in the Dominican, there is no drinking age, and a 15-year-old might have a beer or two. 

• September 10, 2004: Furcal was arrested on drunken driving charges. He was also charged with speeding and reckless driving and spent much of the day in two separate Atlanta area jails. He had been arrested before dawn on Interstate 85 after being clocked at 88 mph in a 55 mph zone. His blood alcohol level was 0.127, above the legal Georgia limit of 0.08.
  
  Furcal was allowed to play in the postseason, but after the last game, he had to turn himself in to the Cobb County Jail by 5:00 p.m. because he was sentenced to 21 days in jail. While the playoffs were going on, Furcal was forbidden from drinking or driving or participating in any Braves postgame celebrations.

  He also had to be at home or at the team hotel—except while playing baseball—and he had to pay for 24-hour monitoring. The Braves agreed to appoint someone to monitor Furcal, and a probation officer was able to check in on him at any time. Those are the conditions set by State Court Judge David Darden in Cobb County as he delayed Furcal's sentence for violating his probation stemming from a DUI conviction in 2000.
  
  On October 12, 2004, less than 24 hours after the Braves lost to the Astros, Furcal left the Major League lifestyle of swanky hotels and gourmet meals for a bunk in a barracks with 70 other guys and cuisine that is, well, nourishing. After being fingerprinted, photographed, and fitted for a navy blue cotton pajama-like outfit, Furcal was issued brown plastic slippers, bed linens, towels and toiletries. For three weeks, he lived in a barracks with bare linoleum floors, sleeping on a bunk bed in a room with between 60 and 70 other inmates with whom he shared meals and showers. Wake-ups were early, with first breakfast at 5:30 a.m. During free time, he could read, play checkers or chess, but no televisions or radios are allowed in the jail.

• Coming back from the DUI in 2005, Furcal's teammates were supportive, and not happy to hear fans boo him.

  "It was very tough to watch the way he was treated, the boos, because nobody knows him like we do," second baseman Marcus Giles said. "Fukey's a big-hearted person. Every one of us, we'd be lying if we said we never had a couple of drinks and drove with a .12 alcohol level, or whatever it was. We all make mistakes, and he got caught. A lot of those people are hypocrites booing him."
  

• "I come from the Julio Franco school of baseball," Rafael said of his Dominican countryman and former teammate. "Julio Franco played in Japan, and there the thinking is that when you're hurting, you get healthy through playing, not sitting. Me, I've seen that when I get a day off for an injury, the next day I wake up worse than if I had played. I'm someone who doesn't like to take a day off for any reason. I have almost four months free after the season is over. Why do I need a day off? I come here to play ball, not to watch others playing," Furcal said early in the 2007 season.

• On August 14, 2008, Rafael's wife gave birth to their second child, a son.
  

• On August 29, 2009, Furcal's family was forced to evacuate their house in the La Cañada Flintridge area during his absence because of the massive wildfire.
  
  The house wasn't damaged and his family was allowed to move back the next day. But it was very nerve-racking because Rafael was with the Dodgers on a road trip to Arizona and his family was so inconvenienced. Furcal said "the fire came all the way down" the mountain, and was as close to his house as the 90 feet "from home plate to first base."
  
  When his wife first called to report the fire, Furcal said he told her: "You know what? Pick one of the cars and get out of there, no matter. Life is more important than anything."

• June 20, 2010: Furcal's father died on Father's Day at a medical center in the Dominican Republic. He had remained hospitalized for three weeks.
  
  Rafael had returned to the Dominican to be with his father, Silvino. He suffered serious internal damage after being kicked by a horse that was being saddled in the family farm.

• March 19, 2013:  Regarding his recovery after Tommy John surgery, Furcal said, "My mind right now is to try to get a good rehab. That's my main thing. I'll get in shape and see what happens. I don't have control."

  "He's walking energy," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "He just walks in and you hear the room explode with different things. He's starts yelling things that we can't hardly understand. He's just life. There's just some people here who can't hide how much they love showing up. Raffy has always been one of those guys who loves what he does. You can't have too many of those guys around."
  
  
  TRANSACTIONS

• 1996: The Braves signed Furcal as a free agent, out of the Dominican.
  

• December 4, 2005: Furcal accepted a three-year, $39 million contract, signing with the Dodgers. He passed up a five-year offer for almost $50 million from the Cubs . . . and a big offer to stay with the Braves.
  
  It helped that Manny Mota, a father figure to Rafael (and many other Dominican players), works for the Dodgers.

• December 18, 2008: Furcal signed with the  Dodgers, just one day after he backed out on an agreement to sign with the Braves. He received a 3-year, $30 million contract with a vesting option for a 4th year.
  
  Rafael's contract calls for salaries of $6.5 million, $8.5 million and $12 million. The team option for 2012 is for $12 million, but vests with 600 plate appearances in 2011. There is a $3 million deferred signing bonus.
  
  One of the provisions of his Dodger contract was that the Dodgers donate a fire enging to his hometown of Loma de Cabrera in the Dominican Republic.

• July 31, 2011: The Cardinals sent OF Alex Castellanos to the Dodgers, acquiring Furcal.

• December 10, 2012: Furcal signed a two-year deal with the Cardinals worth about $14 million.

• December 5, 2013: Rafael agreed with the Marlins on a one-year contract, worth $3.5 million plus incentives.
  

• April 2015: Former major league All-Star shortstop Rafael Furcal has joined the AA Northwest Arkansas Naturals as he attempts a baseball comeback.

  Furcal last played in the major leagues in June 2014 as a second baseman for Miami. He was a three-time National League All-Star shortstop, most recently in 2012 when he played for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2000 as a member of the Atlanta Braves.

  Furcal signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals and had been playing with the Royals’ Class A affiliate. Northwest Arkansas is the AA affiliate of Kansas City and is a member of the Texas League.

• May 19, 2015:  Rafael retired suddenly, moments before he was to be promoted to Triple-A Omaha.

  Furcal, who had recently been promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, has been dealing with a hamstring and back issue and informed the Royals that he was considering "shutting it down" and he made it official.

  "To play in the Major Leagues for 14 seasons was a dream come true," Furcal said in a statement. "I love the game, but at this point, I don't feel like I can play up to my standards anymore and want to spend more time with my beautiful family. I really appreciate the opportunity Dayton Moore and the Kansas City Royals provided me this year."

  "I had the honor of representing Raffy for his whole 18-year career," agent Paul Kinzer said. "Baseball lost one of its classiest players today; someone who played the game the right way."

  Furcal played on 10 teams that reached the postseason, and helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series in 2011 after he was traded by the Dodgers in midseason.  The Royals have talked to Furcal about whether he would be interested in staying in the game in some capacity. (Flanagan - mlb.com)

• Furcal is a four-tool player, lacking only power. But he drills line drives or hits the ball on the ground and beating the ball to first base with his outstanding speed. 
  
  LEADOFF HITTER?
• In his rookie year, he had a .394 on-base-percentage. But he saw that statistic dip to .321 in 2001. And .323 in 2002. 
  
  His 114 strikeouts in 2002 were very "un-leadoff-like."

• In 2002, for the second year in a row, Furcal's strikeouts increased while his walks decreased. Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton knows why.
  
  "With two strikes, everybody went to the back-door curve against him," Pendleton said. "That's not going to change until he proves he can hit it. He has to be willing to be patient, trust his hands, not swing so hard with two strikes. With two strikes, just put the ball in play. Give up trying to hit balls a country mile and just stay back on the ball and hit a little lob out to left field. With his speed, he just needs to put the ball in play more. Guys will make errors trying to rush their throws."

• In 2003, Rafael bounced back, with less K's (76) and a better on-base-percentage of .353 than in the previous two years. Furcal increased his walks by 17 in 2003, and lowered his strikeouts by 38. So he is maturing in his knowledge at the plate.

• In 2006, his first year with the Dodgers, his OBP was .369. But he had 98 strikeouts.

• In September 2007, he had a .339 OBP up to that point in the season. But the Dodgers kept him as their leadoff hitter. 

• In October 2011, while "Moneyball," the movie about Billy Beane's 2003 Oakland A's, was in the theater, Furcal was leading off in the playoffs for Tony La Russa's Cardinals. Furcal's OBP for the Cardinals during the regular season: .316. Don't Major League managers read Bill James' books?
  
  GOOD BUNTER

• He can lay down a drag bunt, too. In 2000, he led the NL by putting 33 bunts in play. 

• He has mastered the drag bunt to the right side of the diamond. His speed enables him to beat out infield hits, too. He hits the ball on the ground and he is quite accomplished at bunting.

• In 2002, his 21 bunt hits ranked second in the Majors.

• The switch-hitting Furcal swings the bat especially well from the right side.
  
  "When I'm hitting righthanded, I get a little lower in my stance," Rafael said. "I also use a longer, heavier bat so I don't overswing. Because that is my natural side, I have a tendency to overswing when I'm hitting righthanded. But bating lefthanded, I think I'm more of a contact hitter."
  
  Furcal also is a bit more patient from the left side. (August 2007)

• He first took up switch-hitting in 1997, at the suggestion of a scout. "I feel natural hitting lefthanded," he says. "I feel comfortable."

• Rafael is the type of player who when you need a run in the late innings, he gets a base hit by slapping the ball past infielders, steals second and third and scores on a fly ball. He just drives pitchers crazy with his small strike zone, patience, and ability to handle the bat.

• He is virtually impossible to defense. Play him deep and he will bunt his way on. If you play him shallow, he has the power to hit it over the head of the outfielders.

• Furcal is the hardest player to double-up in the Major Leagues. He just does not hit into double plays!

• Rafael uses a 33", 31-oz. Louisville Slugger C271 or Glomar G343 black finished bat.

• In April 2002, Furcal  tied a Major League record with three triples in a game against the Marlins. 
  
  He became the first Braves player since Milwaukee's Danny O'Connell in 1956 to hit three triples in a game and the first Major Leaguer since Lance Johnson of the White Sox, who did it September 23, 1995.
  

• Furcal entered the 2014 season with a career batting average of .281. He had 113 home runs and 585 RBI and 314 stolen bases.

• Furcal is a very fine defensive second baseman or shortstop. In 1999, he made the move from second to short quite well. He has excellent range, a soft glove and a fine, limber arm. His arm strength, range and intangibles are suited for shortstop.
• Raffy has grown up with the game and has a nose for the ball. Those superb instincts separate him from most players.

• At shortstop, most of his errors come when he makes a poor throw, usually on plays he had little chance of retiring the runner.

• He stays under control on ground balls. Laterally, he can close in on a ground ball as quick as anyone. When he learns to take the shortest possible route to the ball, he will be even better. Now, he relies on his excellent arm to beat the runner to first base. Sometimes he makes throws when he can't get the runner -- throws a veteran shortstop would hold onto and not take a chance on throwing it away.

• His footwork, which he has had a little trouble with, has improved. He has excellent first-step quckness.

• Rafael is so athletic he could play any position. He could even be the closer. He can throw 93-94 mph!

• Furcal is probably a better second baseman than shortstop because his tendency to show off his great arm isn't as prominent, and that cuts down his throwing errors. But no one is any better at going into the hole at short and retiring the runner at first base.

• Furcal's occasional defensive trouble is not uncommon for a younger player. He will make a wild throw after a bobble. Or he will kick a routine grounder after he makes a sensational play earlier in the game.

• In 2003, Furcal had the most errors (31) among all Major League shortstops. But he has some of the best range, too. He gets to balls others don't even try for.
  
  It is just that he still too often fails to set himself before throwing. He needs to hold onto some balls rather than make wild throws.
  

• Furcal completed an unassisted triple play for the Braves against the St. Louis Cardinals on August 10, 2003. It was the 12th in baseball history.

• Rafael is still an explosive baserunner—one of the fastest in the game. He is more than fast. In two steps, he is at full speed! He has been timed at 3.2 seconds going from first to second on a stolen base.
• In 1998, he set an Appalachian League record for stolen bases (60).

• His speed is rated as "blur." Really, his legs are a blur when he's going from first-to-third or from second-to-home.

• Rafael's great speed was enhanced by his running in the hills around Loma de Cabrera, his Dominican hometown.

• When Furcal is on base, all the attention goes to him, not the hitter. He has a real impact on the game.

• In 2000, Rafael broke the Braves' rookie record of 24 steals set by Jerry Royster in 1976.

• Furcal is certainly not a polished base-stealer. In fact, he runs sometimes when he shouldn't run and and doesn't run when he should, sometimes. He lacks the knowledge of when to go.

• Rafael gets an unreal lead. It is huge.

• In 2001 and 2002, Rafael said he was not as aggressive because he didn't want to run into outs with Gary Sheffield and Chipper Jones coming to the plate.

• In 2002, the Braves were scrambling for more runs, he helped to manufacture rallies.
  
  But his stolen base numbers were down and his caught stealing numbers were up (27 for 42). After shoulder surgery ended his 2001 season, he no longer slid head-first, He lacked the confidence and perhaps some of the aggressiveness he had before.
  

• In 2003, Furcal dialed it up a notch. That year, Furcal was only thrown out two times in 27 steal attempts.
  
  In 2004, he stole 29 bases in 35 attempts, proving he is one of the games's best base-stealers.

• Furcal was one of the few Braves who had a green light from manager Bobby Cox to steal. The only sign Cox had for Furcal was a don't-steal signal.

• In September 2007, Rafael stole eight bases in four games, including four steals in one game. The only other Dodger to steal eight bases in a four-game span was Maury Wills, who did it three times as a Dodger.

• December 1999: Furcal aggravated his left shoulder while playing in the Dominican Winter League.
• June 2000: Rafael went on the D.L. for 15 days.

• January 2001: Rafael suffered a shoulder subluxation while sliding head-first in a Dominican Winter League game. And it was still nagging him as spring training began. It pops out of socket fairly often, especially if he slides head-first. Doctors said it was the rotator cuff and surgery would eventually be required.

• July 2001: Furcal injured his shoulder sliding awkwardly into second base in the 9th inning of the Braves vs. Red Sox game. Trainers from both teams attended to him on the field. It was a shoulder separation.
  
  Because of three previous partial dislocations, this was a full dislocation, so he had surgery on July 10. Rafael impressed doctors, coaches, and the rehab staff with his diligence and work ethic.
  
  "He would work out two times a day," said has agent, Paul Kinzer, "even when we didn't want him to."

• March 2, 2003: Furcal missed 10 spring training games after he sprained his left ankle sliding into second base. He caught his foot beneath the base. Rafael returned to action for a couple of games, then reinjured that left ankle while completely turning around in an attempt to make an acrobatic play on a Bernie Williams grounder up the middle. As he planted on his left foot, with his back to the plate, he said he felt the same pain he did when he initially sprained the ankle.

• 2005: Furcal was bothered right from the start of the season with a sore right shoulder. It didn't bother him on throws, but when hitting from the left side, it hurt. But he didn't go on the D.L.

• January 11, 2006: Rafael underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to have a slight tear in the medial cartilage near the back of the knee repaired. Surgery was at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Center in Los Angeles. It was a cleanup procedure.

• March 28, 2006: An MRI on Furcal's lower back revealed an annular strain of the disc fibers.

• March 23-April 13, 2007: Rafael turned his ankle in a collision with OF Jason Repko while chasing a pop-up during an exhibition game. He missed most of the last week of spring training and started the year on the D.L.

• September 18-end of 2007 season: Furcal missed the last two weeks of the season with lower back stiffness.

• May 6-September 24, 2008: Rafael was on the D.L. with lower back pain. An MRI showed a strain of the lower back, so Furcal received a shot of cortisone on May 12.
  
  On July 3, Furcal underwent surgery to relieve pressure on a disk in his lower back. The procedure was a microdiscectomy to repair the bulging disk. 
  
  Sitting out 4 1/2 months was very frustrating for Rafael. At one point, he even went to manager Joe Torre and asked him if he could leave the team.
  
  "I don't want be around everybody doing nothing, watching another guy play for me," said Furcal, who remained with the club at Torre's insistence and returned in time for the post-season.

• April 28-May 25, 2010: Furcal was on the D.L. with a mild left hamstring strain.

• August 9-September 3, 2010: Rafael was on the D.L. with a lower back strain.

• April 12-May 22, 2011: Furcal suffered a broken left thumb on a steal of third base and went on the D.L.
  
  June 4-July 3, 2011: Rafael was back on the D.L. with right shoulder inflammation. He was injured when he twisted to his right while taking a throw from catcher Dioner Navarro and relaying to third base.

• Late July 2012: Furcal missed some time with lower back stiffness. He also had a tingling sensation down his leg.
  
  On August 8, 2012, Rafael had an epidural, an anti-inflammatory injection, to address the continued stiffness in his back.

• August 31, 2012: Furcal was on the D.L. with a Grade 2 strain/partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The Cardinals were hopeful that aggressive therapy, rehab and rest will be enough to address the injury. Manager Mike Matheny passed along an expected recovery time of four to six weeks for Furcal.
  
  On September 4, 2012: Rafael underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection.

• March 7, 2013: Furcal was scheduled to have Tommy John surgery by Dr. James Andrews. He'll miss the entire '13 season.

• March 27, 2014: Rafael began the season on the D.L. with a sore hamstring.
  
  June 21, 2014: Furcal was injured and went on the disabled list, dealing with injuries to his left hamstring and calf.
  
  August 14, 2014:  Rafael underwent surgery to remove scar tissue from his left hamstring, ending his chances at a return this season. He was transferred to the 60-day DL on July 19 -- but he missed all but nine of Miami's games this season while dealing with discomfort in his hamstring.