It’s always distressing to see a player get hurt. Even more so when it happens before the regular season even starts.
In an exhibition match between the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs, Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez was struck by a line drive from Victor Caratini. The Seattle medical staff immediately went out to tend to Hernandez.
Felix Hernandez was just hit hard by a comebacker. Medical staff attending to him. He’s coming out of game.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 26, 2018
Hernandez was apparently in “serious pain” after being hit on the right arm, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Mariners have not yet given any information on the injury, so it’s not known how serious it is.
This a potentially huge blow for a Mariners team that was counting on a comeback year from the veteran pitcher. Since making his major league debut in 2005 at just 19 years old, Hernandez has been one of the most dominant starting pitchers in baseball. But the 2017 season was a rough one for the 31-year-old right-hander. He went 6-5 with a 4.36 ERA and a 5.02 FIP accross 86 2/3 innings pitched.
This is particularly concerning considering Hernandez has recently struggled with right shoulder injuries. Last April, he was diagnosed with right shoulder inflammation and subsequently missed two months. Then in August, Hernandez was forced to miss more time with right shoulder bursitis.
Next: Jose Bautista wants to play for the Rays
Unfortunately, this is one aspect of the game that may not be preventable. A lot of times, comeback line drives simply don’t provide pitchers with enough time to protect themselves. Such was the case with Hernandez today. While we await further information on his status, we can only hope he’s alright and able to make a speedy recovery.