Seattle Mariners’ Felix Hernandez to debut on Monday – MLB News
The American League’s Seattle Mariners has acquired their pitching depth as the right-handed pitcher Felix Hernandez has come back in the line-up for an important game against division rivals Oakland Athletics, at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Monday, March
7.
Hernandez threw in a simulated game Thursday, throwing 33 pitches to a group of Mariners’ Minor Leaguers. The Mariners will land for their ninth game in Cactus League when Hernandez will come in action.
However, clubs’ pitching coach Hernandez has different plan for 24-year-old right-handed reliever, as he wanted Hernandez to avoid too many appearances against AL west teams. He has designed a schedule that will put the All-Star player to some ‘B’ level
games to keep his momentum going.
The Mariners were having a plan to use him on regular basis until the start of the regular season on March 31, if the coach could not arrange some ‘B’ games. He has been scheduled to appear every fifth day. According to sources, Mariners wanted him to pitch
in the opening day against Athletics on first of April at Oakland.
Hernandez had some practice against Minor Leaguers on last Thursday. In Monday’s game, he will pitch in three innings followed by rookie Michael Pineda, according to sources acquainted with team’s game policy. The team has acquired some new faces in camp
to throw, including Aaron Laffey and youngster Josh Lueke along with Jose Flores.
If the things went according to plan then Hernandez will have to face Kansas City, White Sox, and Texas Rangers on 17, 22 and 27 March respectively. However, Hernandez might have to drop the games on 12 and 27 March due to scheduled ‘B’ class games. The
contest on March 12 is again with Oakland.
It is a sign of confidence for the team as another pitcher Jason Vegas is making his comeback on Tuesday against the World Series Champions San Francisco Giants. He will start his journey throwing in three innings and will keep this path for the entire season.
Seattle has 64 players in Major League camp, with the newest addition left-hand pitcher James Paxton. The roster includes 35 pitchers, 5 catchers, 13 infielders, 10 outfielders and 1 designated hitter. Out of these 64 players, 31 were in Big League camp
last spring and 27 appeared in a game with Seattle during 2010 regular season.
James Paxton joined the camp Friday when he signed a deal. Paxton played college baseball at the University of Kentucky where he ranked third in the NCAA in 2009 averaging 13.22 strike-outs per nine innings.
The Mariners and the Giants met for the first of the two games this spring. The Mariners have won five of the last seven spring games against Giants, after losing nine consecutive games from in 2005-07.
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