Marlins’ right-handed pitcher working way back from biceps injury
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Miami Marlins’ right-handed pitcher Elieser Hernández will make a rehab start for the Jumbo Shrimp Tuesday night in Norfolk, as Jacksonville continues their 12-game road trip by starting a six-game series against the Tides.
Hernández made his season debut in a start for the Marlins on April 3 at Tampa Bay. He exited that outing after just 2.1 innings and was placed on the injured list two days later with a biceps injury.
The 26-year-old enjoyed the best season of his career in 2020. In his third year at the major league level, Hernández worked to a 1-0 record and a 3.16 ERA in six starts for Miami. In 25.2 innings, he stuck out 34 against just five walks. Opponents batted just .212 against him. Hernández suffered a strained right latissimus dorsi on September 1 that landed him on the injured list for the remainder of the season.
A native of Ocumare del Tuy, Venezuela, Hernández was originally signed by Houston as an international free agent in 2012 and pitched in the Astros’ organization through the 2017 campaign, rising to the High-A level. During the 2016 campaign, Hernández was twice named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week while pitching for the Low-A Quad Cities River Bandits.
Following the conclusion of the 2017 campaign, the Marlins selected Hernández in the Rule 5 draft. He began the 2018 season on the injured list, and made two rehab outings in Jacksonville, which followed a pair in Jupiter, prior to being activated to the Miami roster on May 10. That night, he made his major league debut against the Atlanta Braves by working two scoreless innings in relief.
First pitch tonight in Norfolk for the Jumbo Shrimp is set for 6:35 p.m., and Hernández will be opposed by Tides’ right-hander Spenser Watkins. The broadcast will begin at 6:20 p.m. on ESPN 690 and online at espn690.com, MiLB.tv, and the MiLB First Pitch app. ABOUT THE JUMBO SHRIMP: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp offer affordable family fun at 121 Financial Ballpark. Their inaugural season garnered the Southern League’s Don Mincher Organization of the Year, Promotional Trophy and Jimmy Bragan Executive of the Year, won by general manager Harold Craw. The club added its second Promotional Trophy in three years following the 2019 season. The 2021 season marks the return of Triple-A baseball in Jacksonville. To experience the excitement with the terrific value of ticket and group options, call the Jumbo Shrimp at (904) 358-2846 or visit www.jaxshrimp.com.
