Miami Marlins will keep fingers crossed for Jose Fernandez
By Tim Haberin
No team wants to receive potentially concerning health news about a star player, particularly one who has only recently returned after over a year on the sidelines due to Tommy John surgery. Yet the Miami Marlins now find themselves hoping for a positive update about the status of their ace starting pitcher, Jose Fernandez.
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The 23-year-old wunderkind, having been back in action for just over a month, reported stiffness in his right shoulder on Saturday after making a start against the Braves the night before. The team reported that the hurler was being sent back to Miami to be examined by medical staff.
The Marlins are emphasizing caution over what they hope will be only a minor setback at most for the crown jewel of their rotation. Manager Dan Jennings said, “We want to get him seen. He’s a guy who is coming off 14 months of rehab from Tommy John. As we do with any pitcher, we’re going to make sure before we run him out there.”
Fatigue, soreness and various other arm ailments are certainly not uncommon as a pitcher works their way back from major elbow surgery. The Marlins are undoubtedly expectant that this recent development is just part of the natural recovery process. But any time you are dealing with a significant health issue, it is difficult to not worry that it could snowball into further complications.
The possibility of Fernandez missing more time would be severely disappointing to both Miami and the baseball world in general. The right-hander has been universally lauded as one of the most electrifying young arms in the game since winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2013 (he also placed third in Cy Young voting that year, by the way). Since that debut campaign, however, Fernandez’s rise has been stymied by his elbow trouble. He took the mound only eight times in 2014 and has made seven starts so far in the current campaign.
The situation is not so different from that of another Marlins phenom. Giancarlo Stanton landed on the DL with a broken left wrist in late June, and the slugger has missed 139 games and counting over the past four seasons.
Potentially losing Fernandez would be a tough pill to swallow in any situation, but it would be made even more difficult to accept in light of how well he has been pitching. Fernandez has barely skipped a beat since his reactivation on July 2, looking just as dominant as when he left. He boasts a 4-0 record and 2.30 ERA over seven outings. In 43 innings he has allowed 34 hits, walked 10 and racked up 53 strikeouts. He’s been throwing a bit harder as well, with a fastball averaging close to 96 mph.
He has even demonstrated some of his prowess with the bat, belting a solo homer in his first game of the season – a crucial run in a 5-4 win over the Giants.
Some might question whether Miami has been pushing Fernandez a bit too much since his return. He threw 112 pitches on August 2 against San Diego, for instance. It can be hard to remove a top-flight pitcher who is dealing and by all indications feeling good, however, regardless of any injury history. In three of his starts he did not exceed 90 pitches (including just 70 on July 17), so he has experienced his share of lower-stress outings as well.
The story of the Marlins over the past few seasons has been one of deferred ambition. They have made repeated overtures about competing, only to see their designs fall apart one way or another. With an MLB-worst 43-68 record, Miami’s eyes are firmly fixed on next season. Whatever the outcome of Fernandez’s medical evaluation, the team might consider shutting him down for the final two months just to be safe.
His surprisingly resurgent comeback has provided some much-needed optimism to 2016 and beyond, and the Marlins will hope that his current health complaint does not become a significant roadblock to their future plans.