After injury scare, Felix Hernandez could be ready for Opening Day
After a scary incident on Monday, Felix Hernandez appears to have avoided a very serious injury.
From 2006-2015, Felix Hernandez averaged 32 starts and 218 innings per season with a 3.13 ERA, six All-Star nods and a Cy Young Award (2010) over that span. Over the last two seasons, injuries have limited him to 240 innings over 41 total starts, so the days of “King Felix” as one of baseball’s best pitchers seem to be over.
During his 2018 spring debut against the Chicago Cubs on Monday, Hernandez took a comebacker off his right hand/arm. His forearm was examined, with x-rays coming back negative, but Hernandez’s status going forward is still a question.
On Tuesday morning, Hernandez spoke to the media with some optimism about his injury.
Felix Hernandez said his arm is still very tender and hurts to straighten it out or flex it like doing a curl. He said he'd still be ready for opening day.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) February 27, 2018
The precise location of where the line drive hit Hernandez appears to be a bit of good fortune.
Hernandez has made every Opening Day start for the Mariners since 2009, and he has made 10 of 11 Opening Day starts for the team since 2007. He is likely to get that nod again this year on March 29 against the Cleveland Indians, health-permitting of course.
At this stage of spring training, caution has to be the word with any injury. Hernandez may miss a start or two in Cactus League play, but having him ready to go when the games count is far more important.
He has a substantial career workload (just over 2,500 innings now), as expected, but Hernandez is still only approaching 32 years old (April 8). A notable decline in fastball velocity and injuries have combined to foster his drop-off over the last two seasons, and those kinds of issues don’t just magically go away.
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At the end of last season, Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto hinted at managing Hernandez’s 2018 workload with an extra day between starts or skipped turns in the rotation. He is no longer capable of being a reliable 200-plus inning workhorse befitting his nickname, but Hernandez has the pitch mix and savvy to be a very solid starter deep into his 30s.