Mariners uncertain if King Felix will make next start

Felix Hernandez's nightmare season hit rock bottom on Tuesday when he allowed 11 runs (seven earned) on eight hits and four walks to the Texas Rangers over six grueling innings.

His ineffectiveness on the mound had Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais questioning whether his ace will stick in the rotation for his next scheduled start.

"We'll see," Servais said, according to ESPN. "You have to take a look at where we're at going forward here. The next time that spot (in the rotation) comes around, we'll be over in Houston. They've also got a good club.

"We've got to give ourselves a chance every time out there to win the ballgame. It's tough to win."

With the Mariners in the thick of the American League wild-card race - two games behind the division-rival Oakland Athletics - they can't afford to give away too many games. And while the offense has been able to buoy Hernandez a bit, his season has been a mess.

He's 8-10 with a 5.73 ERA, 99 strikeouts, and 46 walks across 124 innings, and has allowed at least five earned runs in seven of his 23 starts. It's been the worst season of his 14-year career.

"Yeah, I'm frustrated. What can I say? What can I say?" Hernandez said, according to ESPN.

A move to the bullpen would be a first for the 32-year-old. All 398 games he's appeared in have been starts since his debut as a 19-year-old in 2005.

His struggles aren't exactly new, though. After going 18-9 with a 3.53 ERA and 8.52 K/9 in 2015, Hernandez has a 4.60 ERA and a 7.4 K/9 in 364 innings. He's also found himself on the disabled list in each of the last three seasons after eclipsing the 200-inning plateau in eight straight years from 2008-2015.