PEORIA, Ariz. -- Felix Hernandez answered enough questions about his health and readiness Monday in a strong three-inning Minor League outing that the longtime Mariners ace appears to have put himself back in position to make his 10th straight Opening Day start for Seattle on March 29.
Manager Scott Servais will need to see how Hernandez fares against the Cubs this Saturday in a final Cactus League outing before making a decision between him and lefty James Paxton, but Hernandez's chances clearly increased tremendously after a sharp outing against the Padres' Triple-A club on a back field at the Peoria Sports Complex.