Mariners play it safe, shut down Felix Hernandez

I had suspected for some time that the delay in announcing Felix Hernandez’s next start was because it wasn’t going to happen until next April. On Wednesday, manager Lloyd McClendon made it official when he announced the rotation for the Mariners’ final series against the A’s.

“Our Friday starter will be Kuma, our Saturday starter will be Elias and Sunday will be Nuno. No Felix,” McClendon said.

With the team out of contention and facing the A’s this weekend, McClendon and the Mariners will take no chances with their ace.

“Felix has given me his heart and soul this year,” McClendon said. “I just don’t want to stress him any more than I have to and this is the right thing to do, much like I did with Taijuan Walker. Felix is I’m sure not happy with this. I will probably have to lock my door, but he will not pitch anymore.”

Felix was told Tuesday night that he was being shut down. He was called into the manager’s office to meet with McClendon and new general manager Jerry Dipoto shortly after McClendon finished with his media session Wednesday afternoon.

“I mean, I’m not making the decisions here. I want to pitch but they say we are not going nowhere so we decided to rest,” Felix answered when asked if he was disappointed.

“I understand,” he added. “We have been talking the last two days and I say, ‘Okay, whatever you say.”

There is a good chance Felix would have been allowed to make the start if he was going for his 20th win. Thank you very much, Mike Trout. There was probably an even better chance we would see him if the team coming into Seattle was still in the race.

“Against a contender? Tougher,” McClendon said of the decision. “You are talking about the integrity of the game. That would be a lot tougher, but it is what it is. I know it is the right thing to do. Much like with Walker, has it cost us a game or two this year? Probably so. The future of this organization is much bigger than one or two games.”

For Felix, however, the last game to him was important for another reason.

“It’s personal because I want to get nine strikeouts to get to 200/200,” he said, referring to his innings and strikeout totals.

Felix also wanted an opportunity to take the field and put up a good outing to finish what was at times a frustrating season for him.

“For me, up and down, inconsistent,” he said. “I’m not happy with what I did this year. Sometimes I was good, one month I was not good. I just have got to do better than that. I had really bad games this year like never before. I gave up 10 against Boston, eight against Houston with one out only. That’s not me.”

By watching video of those games – he said he watches video only of his bad games – he isolated a number of problems.

“Mechanics, I was falling apart,” he said. “I was opening up too quick, I was up, up. A lot of stuff going on.”

Felix said he will keep the same routine this offseason. Physically he says he feels fine. He’s just concerned he will be bored for the remainder of the week now that he is not allowed to pitch. He did try to negotiate one perk, however, when told he was being shut down.

“I say, ‘Can I pinch hit?'” he said, brightening up. “He said, ‘Well, whatever you want. But you are not going to pitch.'”

As the Seattle Mariners officially announced that Felix Hernandez would not make another start this season, the focus shifts to his future and potential next steps in his career. Hernandez expressed disappointment but understood the team’s decision to prioritize his health over the remaining games. In a similar vein, Brazilian footballer Philippe Coutinho is also facing a pivotal moment as he prepares to return to Brazil at the age of 31, potentially marking a new chapter in his career. Just as Hernandez is reflecting on his season and looking ahead, Coutinho’s impending move highlights how athletes often navigate transitions that can redefine their professional paths.

Related

Cal Raleigh answers for the Mariners’ strugglesSeahawks on ‘Hard Knocks’: What stood out from episode 2Slumping Mariners fall 4-1 to Yankees for 5th straight lossCollege football rule changes include change to targeting penaltyAL West Check-In: MLB-worst Angels fire pitching coach in staff shake-upNFC West Check-In: Puka Nucua hurt, Myles Garrett held out of Rams’ joint practice