Jose Fernandez Makes Rehab Start at Space Coast Stadium



Jose Fernandez
Jose Fernandez
AUDIO: Jose Fernandez interview

The road back from Tommy John surgery, to the Florida Marlins has been a long one for 2013 Rookie of the Year Jose Fernandez. With a return to the Marlins expected July 2, after 13 months away, Fernandez made a rehab start Wednesday against the Brevard County Manatees at Space Coast Stadium.

Fernandez threw 79 pitches and hit 99 MPH five times on the stadium radar gun. His only blemish in 4.2 innings of work, was a 387-foot blast to left field off the bat of Manatees left fielder Michael Ratterree.

“The kid (Ratterree) put a pretty good swing on it,” Fernandez said of the homer. “It was a good change-up and he put a pretty good swing on it. That happens, that’s baseball. That’s why you gotta stay humble.”
“I’m just glad it wasn’t his 97 fastball,” said Ratterree of the home run pitch from Fernandez. “Something a little slower, but I guess I just put a good swing on it and tried to be aggressive against him.”

Fernandez did not allow much else after the Ratterree homer. He went on to strike out 10 Manatees, including striking out the side after Ratterree’s home run. He left with the game tied a 1, but the Manatees scored another run in the sixth inning, against reliever Matt Milroy and hung on for the 2-1 win.

“I feel healthy,” said Fernandez after his outing. “I felt strong and felt like I could go easily, a couple more innings, but I just gotta follow the plan. That’s what I’ve been doing the last 13 months.”
Manatees’ manager Joe Ayrault seemed pretty impressed with Fernandez’s performance, watching from the third base coaches’ box.

“That guy’s got some plus stuff,” said Ayrault with a grin. “To have that type of fastball mixed with that curveball is unbelievable. He can throw that curveball in any count.”
Fernandez not only had it working on the mound, he also took his first swings of his rehab stint at Space Coast Stadium. In his first at-bat in the second inning, Fernandez was trying to lay down a sacrifice bunt and quickly got behind 0-2, against Manatees starter Javi Salas. Fernandez squared again and dropped the bunt perfectly in front of the plate and moved the runner over.

Fernandez Bunt
“The first one looked like a hundred,” said Fernandez, speaking of the first pitch he saw from Salas. “I looked up and it was 89, or something. I’ve been away for 13 months from the plate and it looked pretty hard, that’s why I wanted to do it now just to kind of see pitches and get my bunts down. It’s always fun standing at the plate, I love hitting… I mean I love trying to hit,” he said with a laugh.”

Fernandez stressed that he felt ready to go and it was clear he could see that light at the end of the rehab tunnel getting brighter. “It’s been a lot of hard work, a lot of days on the football field playing catch,” he said. “It’s been a lot of days behind the scenes and I can’t wait to get that ball in my hand on July 2nd.” 


his article originally appeared on 27OutsBaseball.com on 6/17/15

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