Countdown to Opening Day - 16: Marlins' Fernandez on the comeback trail
In this 30-day series, theScore's MLB editors will preview the 2015 season with an in-depth look at some of the significant numbers - statistical milestones, jersey numbers and general miscellanea - poised to pop up throughout the campaign.
"Real good. Real strong. No pain."
Jose Fernandez, the resilient 22-year-old with a conspicuous gap in his resume, exudes confidence with the same effortlessness that once defined his 96-mph fastball and knee-buckling curveball. That was before the diagnosis and the surgery and the tedious rehabilitation exercises that have relegated him to Florida's inglorious backfields this spring.
Fernandez spouted this particularly encouraging assessment after completing two sets of 15 throws from flat ground and a series of wind sprints Tuesday at Roger Dean Stadium - the latest salvo in a meticulously constructed plan to reanimate his right arm and career.
Nearly 10 months have passed since that increasingly common diagnosis - a torn ulnar collateral ligament - precipitated the surgery that derailed the career of one the most dominant youngsters in baseball history. Tommy John surgery is among the most popular terms in the baseball lexicon these days, but when Fernandez's faulty elbow gave out last May, it was impossible not to cringe.
Selected in the first round of the 2011 draft following a tumultuous defection from Cuba, the young right-hander earned a spot on Miami's Opening Day roster just two years later despite having never pitched an inning above High-A. Blessed with an ungodly repertoire, though, Fernandez dominated major-league hitters with unfathomable ease at the age of 20.
The media attention and accolades mounted as Fernandez authored a 2.19 ERA (176 ERA+) while notching 187 strikeouts over 172 2/3 innings as a rookie. Fernandez, whose wry smile started appearing more and more with each passing success, made every start an event worth rearranging your schedule for.
Though the following season began with comparable success - Fernandez crafted a 2.44 ERA with a 34.2 percent strikeout rate through his first eight starts in 2014 - his elbow soon cried "enough." Visits to renowned orthopedists followed shortly thereafter and, by May, his arm was confined to a sling.
Almost a year has passed since surgery and Fernandez still hasn't throw off a mound. Recovery time for Tommy John surgery ranges from 12-18 months, and Marlins general manager Dan Jennings pegged mid-June to mid-July as a reasonable return date for his team's prized hurler.
"Don't get me wrong, I'd love to pitch. But I know I'm not ready for it," Fernandez remarked to USA Today's Ted Berg last week.
His eventual return, however, remains the piece de resistance for a revamped Marlins team that began this winter to usher in a new era in franchise history. After alienating their fan base two winters ago by unloading a number of popular veterans, the Marlins endeavored this offseason to win back the trust and respect of the city.
After finalizing a 13-year extension with Giancarlo Stanton in November, the Marlins worked diligently to surround the talented outfielder with a credible supporting cast. A series of deals brought several new faces to Miami - Dee Gordon, Michael Morse, Martin Prado and Mat Latos, among them - affording manager Mike Redmond a decidedly different lineup than the one he fielded in 2014.
Though the Marlins likely won't disrupt the Washington Nationals' pursuit of a second successive division title, a wild-card berth remains a legitimate possibility for Miami in a league replete with solid yet unspectacular teams. At the very least, the prospect of a revitalized Fernandez - in concert with the team's offseason overhaul - gives Marlins fans license to expect compelling baseball late in the season, if not more.
But even if the club's postseason ambitions fall flat, Marlins fans will get to see the kid with #16 on his jersey pitching down the stretch, barring a setback in his recovery.
That's reason enough to stay confident.