Mariners put Felix on 10-day DL; ace expects to be out 2-3 weeks

The Mariners have put ace Felix Hernandez on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation and is expected to miss two to three weeks, according to Greg Johns and Jon Paul Marosi of MLB.com.

Hernandez had an MRI on his shoulder today following his start Tuesday against the Tigers, who handed him and the Mariners a 19-9 defeat. The 31-year-old and former AL Cy Young winner got knocked out after allowing four runs on six hits — one of which was a two-run home run by James McCann — and two walks in two innings to fall to 2-2 on the year.

Hernandez’s DL stint was one of a series of moves the Mariners made. They also placed rookie outfielder Mitch Haniger on the 10-day DL with a strained right oblique. In corresponding moves, they recalled outfielder Ben Gamel and pitchers Chase De Jong, Dillon Overton and Casey Flen from Triple-A Tacoma, while pitchers Evan Marshall and Chris Heston were optioned back to Tacoma.

A six-time All-Star, Hernandez has been trying to rebound from a disappointing 2016 season by his standards, as he went 11-8 and had a 3.82 ERA — his highest ERA for a season since 2007. Right now, his ERA has skied to 4.73 in his five starts and his WHIP is 1.58, both of which are highs for his career.

With Hernandez sidelined for a lengthy period, the Mariners hope James Paxton or Hisashi Iwakuma can become the club’s temporary ace. They also hope to get some innings from De Jong, who is their fifth-best starting pitcher prospect and No. 14 overall, per MLBPipeline.com.