Jose Fernandez looked sharp in a simulated game Wednesday and is expected to make his Grapefruit League debut Monday against the Nationals, the Miami Herald reports.

Fernandez looked sharp in a simulated game Wednesday and is expected to make his Grapefruit League debut Monday against the Nationals, the Miami Herald reports.

Analysis:

Fernandez spun a pair of simulated innings, throwing 25 of 31 pitches for strikes. The Marlins' ace allowed just one hit while racking up five strikeouts during the workout. Recent reports have placed a potential cap on Fernandez' innings in 2016 in the 170-180 range, so expect his workload to ramp up fairly slowly this spring.