Bender (back) began a rehab assignment with the Marlins' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate Thursday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
Bender has been sidelined since late May due to a back injury, but it's encouraging that he's now been cleared to return to game action. His rehab assignment will shift to Single-A Jupiter on Sunday, and he'll likely be in the mix to rejoin the Marlins shortly after the All-Star break.