Felix Hernandez

Felix Hernandez resumed throwing on Wednesday, playing catch before the Mariners game. There is no definitive timetable for return although this is a positive step forward.

Fantasy Impact

King Felix is not even close to being the same pitcher fantasy owners became accustomed to years ago. He had a sparkling 1.01 BB/9 before going down but held a sub 8.00 K/9. However, he was surrendering 2.03 home runs per game but was victim to an incredibly high BABIP of .388. The one red flag is the highly elevated home runs allowed rate, but he is not surrendering more hard contact than last year. Hernandez may be able available on waivers for owners that valued him in terms of production rather than name recognition. He may be worth stashing once a timetable for his minor league rehab assignment becomes clearer.

GM Jerry Dipoto said on Wednesday that ace Felix Hernandez started throwing again on Monday and is expected back with the team before the next road trip begins.

Fantasy Impact

Seattle is starting a four-game away set with Toronto on Thursday, and a seven-game homestand follows that, so Hernandez is on pace to return by May 22nd in Washington, a tough lineup to face any day, but especially when coming back from injury. He's safe to stash on the DL for another week, but temper expectations for his next start.

The Mariners expect Felix Hernandez to miss approximately three-to-four weeks with right shoulder bursitis, putting him on track to return by the third week of May if he doesn't have any setbacks.

Fantasy Impact

Hernandez missed time with shoulder bursitis in the minors back in 2005 and missed close to a month, so it's fair for fantasy owners to expect a similar timeline, which matches up with what the Mariners have said publicly. Hernandez has a 4.73 ERA this season, but the majority of the damage came in his last two starts, when he was likely feeling the effects of the injury. Stash Hernandez if you can, but he's droppable in 10-team or shallower leagues.

The game was not the only thing the Mariners may have lost on Tuesday night. Felix Hernandez left the game after a tough outing against the Tigers, during which he was roughed up for four earned runs in two innings of work. He later flew back to Seattle to get a stiff shoulder checked out by team doctors. The team hopes this is merely a bout of dead arm for their staff anchor.

Fantasy Impact

While King Felix isn't quite the ace of previous seasons, this still hurts fantasy staffs as Hernandez had put together a solid start to the season. Hopefully whatever is ailing Felix's shoulder is taken care of prior to his next start. If it is simply dead arm, a prescription of R&R is likely along with a very brief stint on the disabled list.

Felix Hernandez will undergo a shoulder examination after experiencing fatigue in his throwing arm. There's no clear timetable for his return or if he'll be required to miss time at all. Hernandez lasted only two innings Tuesday, allowing four runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Fantasy Impact

The signs have been on the wall for well over a season that King Felix may be ending his reign of dominance. His ADP showed that owners were acting accordingly, but they were likely hoping for more than the 4.72 ERA and 1.57 WHIP he's produced over his first five starts.