The Seattle Mariners are collectively holding their breath, hoping that their franchise cornerstone and ace, Felix Hernandez, has nothing seriously wrong with his stiff right shoulder.
Hernandez lasted only two innings in his start against the Detroit Tigers, where he was lit up for four runs and six hits in Seattle’s 19-9 loss.
Even more concerning was when, after the game, Mariners manager Scott Servais said Hernandez was dealing with stiffness.
“He had some stiffness in his shoulder going out for the second inning, but there wasn’t any pain,” Servais said (h/t ESPN).
“He said it was more like a dead arm, but there’s obviously some concern when you are talking about a pitcher’s shoulder. He’s been a horse for us, but we have to get this checked out.”
Hernandez will return to Seattle to be check by doctors.
“We should know a lot more in a couple days,” Servais said. “At this point, it’s just a dead arm.”
Hernandez, 31, is currently 2-2 with a 4.73 ERA