Felix Hernandez Injury Update: Seattle Mariners Ace To Remain On DL Even Longer

A Felix Hernandez injury update from the Seattle Mariners comes with more bad news. The Mariners have lost Hernandez even longer than previously estimated, as the ace starting pitcher isn’t expected to come off the disabled list for at least four more weeks. A new report from MLB.com states that Hernandez hasn’t been permitted to do any baseball-related activities, and that the injury to his strained right calf is “recovering from the injury slower than expected.”

The new estimation for Hernandez, who just had another MRI on Friday, June 10, is that he will be on the disabled list for another four to six weeks. That could keep him on the shelf until the beginning of August if everything else in his rehab goes well. Hernandez is wearing a protective boot on the affected leg in order to prevent further injury, showing how his mobility has been compromised. Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais made an in-depth statement about the All-Star pitcher on June 11.

“I know he got rechecked yesterday. He is feeling a little bit better. It’s not moving along as quickly as he hoped it would, nor me or anybody. But, he is feeling a little bit better. No timetable yet on when he’s going to get out and start running around or doing anything like that. He’s never done anything like this before where he’s missed this amount of time. But, it’s going to be more than just a couple bullpens and you fire him out there for 85, 90 pitches. It’s going to take more than that with the amount he’ll have been down. You kind of have to build it back up a little bit.”

Due to the Felix Hernandez injury, James Paxton got called up from Triple-A Tacoma to fill a spot in the starting rotation. Though he had a rough debut, his last two starts have been very good. Paxton has posted a 2.25 ERA over three starts, striking out 24 hitters in just 16 innings of work. That is a rate of 13.5 strikeouts every nine innings, showing that hitters are having a tough time figuring him out at the plate. If Paxton can continue pitching this well, the Mariners will have some tough decisions in August.

Before he went on the disabled list, Felix Hernandez had posted a 2.86 ERA and 4-4 record through 10 starts. His appearance on the DL is retroactive to May 28, but it is still very clear that he will miss more than the three starts that were originally estimated. The Mariners will clearly need him to be healthy for the final months of the season to provide a good chance at making the MLB Playoffs for the first time since 2001. The latest news doesn’t provide a very good prognosis for that plan, though.

After falling to the Texas Rangers 2-1 in 11 innings on Saturday night, the Seattle Mariners are now four games back in the American League West. The Mariners had a 1-0 lead in the ninth inning that vanished when closer Steve Cishek allowed a game-tying homer to the Rangers. The Mariners still hold the second wild card spot in the AL, but now they lead the Baltimore Orioles by just one game in that race. Closing out the Rangers in the rubber game on Sunday, June 12, would be a huge step for the team after hearing this news.

For fantasy baseball owners looking for more Felix Hernandez injury news, this is certainly not what anyone has wanted to hear. The Seattle Mariners clearly aren’t going to rush him back from the calf injury, meaning he likely won’t be on the mound again until his leg is fully healed.

[Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images]