SEATTLE (AP) -Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez will likely miss two to three starts with a muscle strain inside his right elbow and forearm.
Mariners medical director Dr. Ed Khalfayan said Thursday that the 21-year-old right-hander will not throw for five days, then will play catch.
“I think 10 to 20 days is a reasonable estimate,” Khalfayan said when asked when Hernandez might again pitch in a game. That’s as good a news as you can get from an elbow injury.”
If Hernandez continued to pitch with the strain, he could have stressed elbow so severely he would have required elbow-ligament replacement surgery.
Hernandez had allowed just four hits in 17 scoreless innings – including a one-hitter at Boston last week – before he left his start Wednesday night against Minnesota after just one-third of an inning. He allowed three runs, walked two, threw a wild pitch that scored a run, then waived trainers out to the mound to remove him from the game because of the elbow tightness.
“This is a very common pitcher injury,” Khalfayan said. “Felix’s injury is minor. We are optimistic he won’t miss too much time.”
Hernandez was in good spirits and joking in the clubhouse three hours before the game, repeatedly saying “I’m fine,” and then refusing to say anything else.
Manager Mike Hargrove said the team has already discussed who would start in Hernandez’s absence, but he was not ready to say whom.
Add A Comment