Mariners News: Felix Hernandez on Track to Start Wednesday

There hasn’t been a King’s Court in Seattle since May 27, but that will all change on Wednesday when King Felix takes the mound for the Mariners.

The Seattle Mariners are about to get a whole lot healthier this week. After being without their ace for nearly two months, Felix Hernandez is expected toe the rubber on Wednesday afternoon against the Chicago White Sox at Safeco Field.

King Felix has been sidelined since straining his right calf during a start against the Minnesota Twins back on May 27. However, he has made his way through a pair of rehab outings without suffering any setbacks. Apparently the M’s medical staff has seen enough, and they believe Hernandez is ready to once again baffle big league hitters.

More from Mariners News

• 2023 Steamer Projections: Teoscar Hernandez could see a drop in Seattle
• Steamer Projections: Julio Rodriguez to enter rarified air in 2023
• What if the Mariners traded FOR Tyler O’Neill this time?
• Mariners starting pitching is being overlooked by MLB
• Baking the Cake: An Adjusted Mariners Offseason Plan

Prior to his start on July 10 with the Everett AquaSox, the 30-year-old right-hander had not appeared in a minor-league game since the 2005 season. Felix had some issues in the lowly Northwest League, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits across 3.2 innings pitched against the Spokane Indians. Felix did manage to record 6 punch outs during his brief appearance with the AquaSox. The final pitching line may not have been overly inspiring, but it is nothing to worry about.

Hernandez next took to the mound on July 15 with the Tacoma Rainiers. This outing was much more of the prototypical Felix performance we are used to seeing. He dominated over the course of 5.1 innings, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits en route to earning the win against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Hernandez struck out 7 and issued 1 free pass during his final tune up.

Wednesday’s start will be Felix’s 11th of the season. 2016 has been a bit curious for Hernandez. He currently boasts great numbers with a 4-4 record and a 2.86 ERA. However, he has struggled to locate his pitches consistently. King Felix’s 53:26 strikeout to walk ratio through 63 innings is less than royal by his standards.

The biggest hurdle Hernandez has had to deal with is a drop in velocity. Felix’s heater hovered in the 92 mph range in each of the last four seasons, but that number has dipped to just 90.0 mph so far in 2016. This has forced him to mix in more off speed pitches, which has led to more walks and fewer strikeouts.

More from SoDo Mojo

• 2023 Steamer Projections: Teoscar Hernandez could see a drop in Seattle
• Could the Mariners Acquire AL Batting Champion, Luis Arraez?
• Steamer Projections: Julio Rodriguez to enter rarified air in 2023
• What if the Mariners traded FOR Tyler O’Neill this time?
• Mariners starting pitching is being overlooked by MLB

It will be interesting to see how Felix Hernandez fares this Wednesday. There is a possibility that his decrease in velocity was a result of attempting to play through injury. Now that he has had the chance to heal, hopefully his fastball will bump back up into the 92 mph range.

However, the more probably cause of Hernandez’s 90 mph heater is the sheer amount of innings he has logged during his career. Through 12 seasons in Seattle, he has started 344 games and hurled 2,325.1 innings. Felix has been remarkably durable with the Mariners, and he has pitched at least 200 innings in 8 consecutive years.

There is a chance we will never see the same guy who won the Cy Young in 2010 and should have won it again in 2014. Regardless, Hernandez remains one of the most dominant right-handers in baseball. The great thing about Felix is that he can beat hitters in numerous ways. He may not be able to blow it past the opponent anymore, but he is a crafty veteran who just knows how to pitch.

Next: D.J. Peterson Regains Top Prospect Status

For the Mariners to have a shot at snapping their lengthy playoff drought in 2016, they will need a strong second half from their King. If Hernandez can catch fire, it stands to reason that the Mariners will too. Hopefully Wednesday is the start of an incredible two and a half months of baseball for Felix and the M’s.