Marlins' Fernandez throws off mound for 1st time since Tommy John surgery

Miami Marlins right-hander Jose Fernandez returned to the mound Sunday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May. 

Fernandez threw 15 pitches - all fastballs - without incident.

"It feels really, really normal," Fernandez told Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel. "It feels like I've been up there for a long time. The strike zone was there. The location was there, in and out, right down the middle with the fastball. It was just like riding a bike. It was real easy. I'm real excited I got to do that again."

The 2013 National League Rookie of the Year is on track to make his return in late June or early July and said that a positive session provided a major boost in confidence. 

"It is huge," Fernandez said. "After almost nine and a half months, getting on the mound again, it feels great. This is where I belong and that's what I love to do. It's just another step toward the goal. That doesn't mean we're going rush anything. We're going to keep following the plan and do what we have been doing."