Injuries are never fun, and it looks like Rangers relief pitcher Jonathan Hernandez is suffering the worst of it right now. He recently came up with a UCL sprain, and manager Chris Young believes he’ll be out for at least four weeks. This will mean that Hernandez will miss the start of the season.
It all started when the pitcher felt something wrong during practice earlier this week. He informed his coaches, and was then sent to get an MRI with the team doctors. At first, the doctors categorized it as a “low-grade sprain”. Unfortunately, this minor sprain is enough to leave Texas with one less reliever come the start of the season.
That being said, it could’ve been much worse. The MLB season is long, and Hernandez is still expected to play for the majority of the year.
“The good news on him is that this is [an injury] that normally recovers or responds well with some rest,” manager Young discussed. “We will reevaluate [after four weeks], and hopefully at that point, we’ll see enough healing that we can begin a throwing program.”
The 24-year-old Hernandez originally signed with Texas in 2013 but didn’t actually make his debut until 2019. However, his patience has certainly paid off, considering the fact that he’s a key part of their rotation now.
