Felix Hernandez declared himself ready to return to the Seattle Mariners following a no-decision at Triple-A Tacoma on Monday night.
“What else am I going to show them to be up there?” Hernandez said, per The Seattle Times. “I feel pretty good, and I’m prepared to go.”
Hernandez was placed on the injured list on May 12 with a right shoulder strain. Monday’s start lasted three innings, 69 pitches, and included five strikeouts and one unearned run. It was his fourth minor-league start, with 18 strikeouts in 11 total innings.
Hernandez, 33, could be in his final season with the Mariners. His contract expires at the end of the 2019 season.
He is 1-4 with a 6.52 ERA in eight starts for Seattle this season.
“I can’t wait to go out there and pitch again,” Hernandez said. “It’s going to be my last year. I don’t know what’s going to happen next year, so I need to go out there and show them that I still love the fans and still love Seattle.”
In his 15th major league season, all with the Mariners, Hernandez owns a career record of 169-132 with a 3.38 ERA. A six-time All-Star, he won the American League Cy Young Award in 2010.
