Mariners' Felix Hernandez: Could return before All-Star break

Hernandez (calf) looked strong Tuesday in his first time throwing off a mound since landing on the DL, and the Mariners have not ruled out their ace returning prior to the All-Star break, MLB.com's Greg Johns reports. "If there's a way to get him out there and possibly get him a start before the break, I'd be all in favor of it," manager Scott Servais said. "But it's going to depend on [trainer Rick Griffin] and where Felix is at and getting him built up and comfortable to fire him out there. I don't want to put him out there for 50-60 pitches. He has to be able to go longer than that."

Analysis:

He threw a 25-pitch bullpen session prior to Tuesday's game, in what was a huge step forward in his recovery from a calf injury. Servais said Hernandez will probably throw another bullpen session later this week, and then he will need at least one rehab start before potentially returning. It still seems like a return after the All-Star break is the most likely scenario, but he appears to finally be making solid progress, and it shouldn't be long before he's back out there pitching in the big league rotation.