The Mariners have placed pitcher Felix Hernandez on the 10-day disabled list with right biceps tendinitis, the team announced.
The decision came hours before Hernandez was set to pitch against the Royals at 7:15 p.m. ET Saturday.
The #Mariners have placed RHP Felix Hernandez on 10-day DL, retro to Aug. 2, w/right biceps tendinitis...recalled LHP Marco Gonzales.
— MarinersPR (@MarinersPR) August 5, 2017
This isn’t the first instance that Hernandez has landed on the DL this season. In April, the veteran right-hander was sidelined with a shoulder injury that Mariners manager Scott Servais called a "dead arm." That injury caused Hernandez, 31, to miss nearly two months of action.
Seattle sat 1 1/2 games out of playoff contention ahead of Saturday's games. As the Royals occupy the last AL wild-card spot, losing Hernandez at this point in the season is a brutal blow to the Mariners. Marco Gonzales was recalled in a corresponding move.
According to multiple reports, Gonzales will make his Mariners debut Saturday in place of Hernandez. The Mariners acquired Gonzales from the Cardinals in exchange for Tyler O’Neill on July 21. Since the trade, Gonzales has a 2-0 record and 4.50 ERA with Triple-A Tacoma.