EVERETT — The King is returning to Everett.
Felix Hernandez, the Seattle Mariners Cy Young-winning ace who started his professional career with the Everett AquaSox in 2003, is scheduled to make a rehab start with the Frogs on Sunday afternoon against the Spokane Indians as he works his way back from a right calf strain.
Hernandez’s older brother, AquaSox pitching coach Moises Hernandez, is among those excited to have his brother in town.
“It’s really exciting. We’ll just wait for that day and see what happens,” Moises Hernandez said. “But it’s going to be fun. He’s trying to get better, trying to get ready to help the team. We’ll see how he’s going to feel that day.”
Felix Hernandez threw 45 pitches in a three-inning simulated game on Wednesday. The 30-year-old right-hander, who is 4-4 with a 2.86 earned-run average this season, hasn’t pitched in a game since May 27th against Minnesota.
Barring any setbacks, the six-time all-star is scheduled to throw four innings or 60 pitches with the AquaSox on Sunday, followed by a rehab start in Triple-A Tacoma next Friday and rejoin the Mariners’ rotation on July 20th against the Chicago White Sox.
According to Moises Hernandez, Felix is progressing well through his rehab and feels good.
“We’re texting,” Moises Hernandez said. “I’ll ask how he feels and the first couple of days it was still the same: a little pain. But now he tells me he’s better. He can do his crazy delivery. He says he feels great. He doesn’t feel anything (hurt) right now.
“Now, he needs to face a real game and we’ll see how he feels.”
The elder Hernandez said that when Felix found out for sure that he was heading to Everett he joked with his brother that he better come visit him on the mound Sunday.
“He called me and said, ‘I want to give out two walks and then you can come out to the mound,’” Moises Hernandez said. “I said, ‘No! No! No! Don’t do that. We need to win that game. We need you. Just throw strikes.’
“It’s going to be fun. Maybe I will make one visit to the mound. We’ll see what happens that day.”
Gates will open for Sunday’s 4:05 p.m. game at 2 p.m. to accommodate an expected sellout. A limited number of general admission tickets are still available, but Frogs general manager Danny Tetzlaff doesn’t expect them to last long.
“It’s really cool for the AquaSox fans to see one of the top pitchers in all of baseball right here in Everett Memorial Stadium,” Tetzlaff said. “You don’t have to drive to Seattle. He’s right here. He’s going to be 100 feet away from you. It doesn’t get much more intimate than that.”
Tetzlaff shared Moises Hernandez’s excitement over the King coming to town.
“Everybody’s excited in the office,” Tetzlaff said. “Everybody’s fired up. Our coaching staff is fired up. I’m high-fiving with (Everett hitting coach) Brian Hunter. He’s like, ‘This is awesome! I can’t wait!’”
Felix Hernandez pitched for the AquaSox in 2003. As a 17-year-old prospect in his first professional season, Hernandez went 7-2 with a 2.29 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched before getting promoted to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
“It’s great just to have that guy around,” said Everett manager Rob Mummau. “Felix, he’s been one of the best for years. It will be really exciting. (I’m a) fan. I think everybody is.”
Tetzlaff said he has a few plans for Sunday to help make the game a memorable afternoon for everyone.
“We’re trying to do some special things for Sunday,” Tetzlaff said. “We’re hoping we can make it the King’s Court up in Everett. I think it would be pretty neat to have 4,000 people hold up K cards right here.
“I can’t wait to see this place filled up. It’s going to be electric. I’m really looking forward to it.”
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