The Mariners announced today that they’ve placed ace Felix Hernandez on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right calf muscle and recalled lefty James Paxton from Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding move. As MLB.com’s Greg Johns writes, the injury isn’t believed to be overly serious at this time, and the M’s are hopeful that King Felix will miss just two starts, as the DL stint is backdated to Saturday.
The 30-year-old Hernandez is currently sporting a strong 2.86 ERA, but he struggled in his last outing (six runs on eight hits and a walk in six innings) and has displayed some other red flags throughout the 2016 season. Hernandez’s fastball is averaging a career-low 90 mph and has only shown minimal improvement over the course of the season, and he’s also averaging 3.7 walks per nine innings, although his command has taken a turn for the better after a rocky month of April in that regard (18 walks in 32 2/3 innings). Control problems and velocity decline aside, Hernandez still leads the Mariners’ staff in ERA and is second to Hisashi Iwakuma in total innings (63).
The 27-year-old Paxton will be appearing in his fourth season at the Major League level when he takes the hill tonight against the Padres. Injuries have slowed an otherwise promising career quite substantially, but the former fourth-round pick and top 100 prospect is off to a fine start in Triple-A this season, having logged a 3.97 ERA with 9.4 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 in 47 2/3 innings of work. While that’s a fairly modest innings total to this point in the season, it’s worth pointing out that Paxton tossed just 103 innings last year between the minors, Majors and Arizona Fall League, and he worked just 87 combined innings in 2014. From a service time standpoint, Paxton is at two years, 27 days right now, so even if he were to remain in the Majors for the duration of the season (which seems unlikely, barring another injury elsewhere on the pitching staff), he’d fall shy of three years. He would, however, enter Super Two territory with another 100 days or so on the Major League roster.
Any other team? He’d be in the MLB rotation either at the start of the season, or soon thereafter. This team has such a good rotation that they can leave a kid, with 2 good secondaries AND throws 97? unbelievable
You make him sound like he’s Walter Johnson. He’s throws about 92 now. His other stuff, meh.
Why don’t you watch tonight’s game then come back and tell us about his pitches. Now, what about a trade for Julio Teheran, send Zunino, Peterson, Gohara, and Zack Littell.
Surprise! I watch many M’s games and have since Paxton 1st started in the minors (Have Milb and Mlb). Maybe you should watch a few more of Paxton’s games?
Paxton will touch 97.. Maybe 98 during games a few times and sit 92-95.
FYI, I was agreeing with you about Paxton
Lol you guys are funny. Why watch a fringe player pitch just to see if MAYBE he hits 97? Velocity and movement data is recorded nowadays (it’s 2016 after all).
His average velocity sits at 92 right now. brooksbaseball.net/landing.php?player=572020
Forgot to add in Paxton to the trade
Why do you need Teheran when you have Walter Johnson incarnate? /s
Because Teheran has the ability to be an ace, Johnson does not.
Why would they trade Zunino? The giy was rushed through the minors. Don’t give up on him just yet.
Hey, great game by Paxton tonight, pal.
I thought you weren’t watching, but I’m happy as long Cano is hitting homers.
Nice!
Didn’t the Mariners purposefully put Paxton’s schedule on track with Hernandez’s at the beginning of year? Or no, cuz I could be wrong
Paxton was in the 96-98 range when he was in there. His fast ball was too straight tonight and he left it in the middle of the plate. I am sure he was a bit amped and did not have great control but whoever said he rarely touched 97 and might get 98 one was dead wrong. I thought when i read that it was wrong but waited to see. His avg speed might be 92 with the other pitches he throws but his fast ball had to be around 96-97 on avg. I saw him on a rehab start in Everett and his ball had a ton of movement on it unlike tonight any major league hitter could hit it it was so straight. I wouldn’t worry let him get another start or two and see how he does then.
The velocity figure quoted is average fastball velocity – 92 according to brooks. Not average pitch velocity, which wouldn’t be a useful stat at all. However, Fangraphs, which uses pitchfx, has his average fastball velocity at 96.6. So there is some discrepancy. Velocity is king, but, as witnessed last night, major leaguers (and we have to use that term loosely when we’re talking about the Padres) can hit good velocity. The Mariners don’t seem to know how to develop prospects very well – Zunino is a great example. I hope they let Paxton get a few starts in this time.
Agree.. He appeared just amped up here with his 1st start of the season, also over 60% FB’s and they were straight. Many were mid 90’s, where his flatten out more and got tagged. Just like Joe Kelly’s mid-upper 90’s did a couple hours earlier.
FYI.. I see He has a high of 99 listed and 93 for a low last night at WeEI, along with an avg of 96.6mph. Thought saw several 92’s myself. That’s what it show’s however.
Hasn’t his fastball always been too straight? Legit question. I thought i remembered reading that about him.