Mariners manager on Felix Hernandez’s bullpen session: ‘This looks awesome’

If there’s anybody who wants to see Felix Hernandez back on the mound for the Mariners, it’s manager Scott Servais. And when the skipper saw how good The King looked during a 43-pitch bullpen session on Friday, he couldn’t contain his excitement.

“I thought it was outstanding. As good as I’m seen him throw the ball at any point this year, including spring training. It was that fresh and clean,” he said. “I made a joke, I wanted to kiss him on the lips. That’s how I felt. I said ‘This looks awesome.'”

Related: ‘Stabilized’ pitching Mariners’ key on homestand, according to Servais

How he looked was only half the battle, however. The especially good sign is that Hernandez, who is working his way back from a calf injury, felt no ill effects the day after the bullpen session, according to Servais.

Next up for Hernandez is to throw a sim game at some point while the Mariners are in Houston for their next series. After that, the plan is for him to make two rehab starts – one with Single-A Everett and another with Triple-A Tacoma – and then for the former Cy Young Award winner to return to the Mariners’ rotation after the All-Star break.

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