Jose Fernandez Injury: Updates on Marlins Star's Status and Return

Updates from Tuesday, June 3

Major League Baseball posted an image on its Instagram account of Jose Fernandez picking up a baseball for the first time since his Tommy John Surgery:

Updates from Tuesday, May 20

Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald took a picture of Jose Fernandez in his sling and added more information about the damaged ligament in his arm:

Updates from Monday, May 19

Scott Boras, Jose Fernandez's agent, spoke about his client's injury and his use by the Marlins (via Jon Morosi of Fox Sports):

Updates from Saturday, May 17

Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports that Jose Fernandez may have suffered a separate injury that led to issues with his arm:

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Jose Fernandez’s arm injury was precipitated by a chain reaction of events that began when a line drive struck him in the thigh in his next-to-last game, according to the pitcher’s friend and attorney.

That “prompted a completely unanticipated change in delivery which neither the staff nor his coaches could discern,” culminating in a “traumatic” arm injury when Fernandez pitched next on May 9 in San Diego, said his Tampa-based attorney, Ralph Fernandez, in a statement that was released Friday after the pitcher underwent Tommy John surgery in Los Angeles.

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Multiple members of the Marlins organization were quick to refute that notion per Spencer: 

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But Marlins manager Mike Redmond questioned that assertion.

“I don’t think it affected his delivery,” Redmond said of the line drive. “He looked the same to me in that game after that.”

Two Marlins pitchers who asked to remain anonymous said they didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary in Fernandez’s delivery after being struck by the line drive.

“Looked the same to me,” said one. “It [the arm injury] just happened.”

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Updates from Friday, May 16

MLB provides an update on Jose Fernandez's surgery:

The Marlins pass along comments from Mike Hill:

Updates from Thursday, May 15

Juan C. Hernandez of the Sun Sentinel provides an update from the Florida Marlins on Jose Fernandez's surgery:

Fernandez had this to say about his injury via Instagram:

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To all my fans: you deserve to know that today, along with my family, I made The decision to undergo tommy john surgery. It was not an easy one, but with my condition it is the only option where I can return to the game I love as the same player I am temporarily leaving the game as. I'll be back as soon as my elbow will let me . And if anything... I have about a year to learn how to throw lefty ;)You haven't seen the last of me Miami, I promise you that.

"

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com provided an update on the status of Fernandez's injured arm and surgery:

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Marlins star pitcher Jose Fernandez is scheduled to have Tommy John surgery Friday morning in Los Angeles, league sources said.

Fernandez, one of the rising stars in the game, was found to have a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament earlier in the week, and the Marlins said on Wednesday that surgery is recommended. Word is that Fernandez's elbow is otherwise "pristine," making him an ideal candidate to return to past form.

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Bleacher Report's Will Carroll also had more insight into Fernandez's surgery:

Updates from Tuesday, May 13

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports provides an update on Jose Fernandez's injury and recovery:

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Marlins superstar right-hander Jose Fernandez was diagnosed with a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his pitching arm and surgery was recommended in the initial diagnosis by noted physician Neal ElAttrache, sources connected to the team say.

Fernandez is scheduled to see Marlins team doctor Lee Kaplan Tuesday to see if he confirms the original diagnosis and recommendation.

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Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel reports on when the surgery will likely take place: 

The Marlins Twitter account later confirmed the news and Joe Frisaro of MLB.com added what the expected recovery time would be for Fernandez: 

Bleacher Report's Will Carroll provides more details on the tear:

Updates from Monday, May 12

Plenty of rumors are flying around on the seriousness of Jose Fernandez's elbow injury, and if Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel is right, the Marlins' 2014 season just got a lot tougher:

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports also offered a similar report: 

Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald spoke with Fernandez's agent, Scott Boras, about the injury:

Original Text

The Miami Marlins have been one of the pleasant surprises of the young MLB season and check in with a 20-18 record as of Monday. However, keeping that pace might be in serious jeopardy given that reigning NL Rookie of the Year pitcher Jose Fernandez is headed to the DL.

Marlins manager Mike Redmond passed along the diagnosis of Fernandez's injury, via Joe Frisaro of MLB.com:

Redmond also discussed the possibility of Tommy John surgery, via Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:

The Marlins are obviously nervous about the injury, as Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports:

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Marlins young superstar pitcher Jose Fernandez was placed on the disabled list with what was described as an elbow "sprain," and sources close to the team suggest the injury is "worrisome."

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Will Carroll of Bleacher Report weighed in on Fernandez's injury:

ESPN's Jim Bowden provided further clarification on the injury: 

The Marlins are hot on the heels of the first-place Atlanta Braves, so losing their ace pitcher for the foreseeable future would be a blow to any postseason hopes they are harboring.

Fernandez is sporting a 4-2 record with an impressive 2.44 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. He has 70 strikeouts (NL leader) in only 51.2 innings pitched and a .188 batting average against.

ESPN Stats and Info broke down Fernandez's value to the team:

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Fernandez is only 21 years old, so look for the team to do whatever is in his best long-term interest regarding his health. Check back for updates as they develop.