Expect to see Hernandez in an Ms’ uniform this season

Felix Hernandez is back on the mound, striking out hitters and watering the mouths of everyone who can’t wait to see him with the Mariners soon.

How soon?

Nobody’s quite ready to answer that yet, but it seems certain Hernandez will be in a Seattle uniform before this season ends.

The Mariners are handling their 19-year-old pitching phenom like he’s a Honus Wagner ballcard, careful not to fray any part of a player whose future could determine the success of the team for years to come.

He started the season well at Class AAA Tacoma but came down with a sore shoulder in June and went on the disabled list because of bursitis. He has pitched twice since coming back, and last week looked strong in two scoreless innings against Portland.

Hernandez has pitched 762/3 innings this season, rolling up a 9-4 record with a 2.23 earned run average. Opponents are hitting .201 off him, and he has struck out 83 of them.

Other pitchers have made it to the majors with lesser numbers. Hernandez’s time may not come soon as he builds himself back up from the injury, but it’s coming.

“I’d like to see it,” said Pat Rice, the Mariners’ minor league pitching coordinator. “He’s more or less ready.”

More, because his 98 mph fastball and quality offspeed pitches are easily capable of getting major league hitters out.

Less, because Hernandez still has a tendency to let adrenaline get the best of him. When he gets hit, loses touch with his control or simply gets too excited in a big game, he occasionally over-throws and makes matters worse.

He dealt with that issue in spring training and also at the Class AAA level, and deep down Rice hopes to see him go through it in the major leagues this year. It will help Hernandez learn to control himself during those times when he gets over-amped.

“It’s probably the one thing he’s learned to do as well as he can,” Rice said. “He realizes he can’t do that, but it’s hard not to get over-amped. He still does that at times at the Triple-A level, then he’ll settle down and make good pitches.

“When he gets called up, there will be the same reminder that he can’t pitch that way.”

Still, dealing with his emotions and even losing control of them at the big league level will do nothing but help Hernandez – and the Mariners – in the long run. That’s why he needs to come up this season.

“I think it would be really good for him,” Rice said. “How much time he gets, I don’t know if it really matters. I think it’s important just to get him over the hump, to get the opening-time jitters over with. That’s a tough thing to deal with.”

What’s important now, of course, is to get Hernandez’s arm back in shape.

In two outings since coming off the DL, he has looked fine. He has allowed just one hit in three scoreless innings – with five strikeouts.

“He’s doing great and we’re starting to stretch him out again,” Rice said. “The injury was very minor, if you even want to call it an injury. His stuff has been unbelievable and he seems to be fine.

“We’ll get him stretched out a little more and see what happens.”