Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto announced today the following roster moves:
Gonzales (#32) will be in uniform and is scheduled to start today's (4:15 p.m. PT / 6:15 p.m. CT) game at the Kansas City Royals.
Gonzales, 25, has made 2 starts with AAA Tacoma, going 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA (6 ER, 12.0 IP) with 9 strikeouts and 5 walks. He was acquired from by the Mariners from St. Louis in exchange for minor league outfielder Tyler O'Neill on July 21. In 13 combined starts with AAA Memphis (St. Louis) and AAA Tacoma (Seattle) this season, he is 8-4 with a 3.14 ERA (28 ER, 80.1 IP) with 66 strikeouts and 22 walks. The 6-foot, 199-pound left-hander also made 1 start with advanced-A Palm Beach (St. Louis), allowing 1 run on 2 hits (1 home run) with 7 strikeouts and 0 walks over 6.0 innings pitched on May 7. Gonzales made 1 start with the Cardinals, pitching the second game of a doubleheader on June 13 vs. Milwaukee.
In parts of 3 Major League seasons with the Cardinals (2014-15, '17), he is 4-2 with a 5.53 ERA (25 ER, 40.2 IP) with 34 strikeouts and 22 walks in 12 games (7 starts). He went 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA (3 ER, 6.0 IP) with 4 strikeouts and 2 walks with St. Louis in the 2014 postseason. He has twice been listed by Baseball America as having the "best changeup" in the Cardinals organization (2013 and 2014). In 2014, he was named the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Gonzales, who resides in Seattle in the off-season, was drafted by St. Louis in the 1st round (19th overall) of the 2013 Draft out of Gonzaga University, becoming the highest draft pick in the history of the Bulldogs baseball program. The native of Fort Collins, CO, shared West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year honors with the Cubs' Kris Bryant (University of San Diego) as a freshman in 2011 and as a junior in 2013 and was the WCC Pitcher of the Year in 2012. He won the John Olerud Award as the nation's top collegiate two-way player in 2013 after being a finalist for the award in 2012.
Hernandez, 31, is 5-4 with a 4.28 ERA (35 ER, 73.2 IP) with 69 strikeouts and 21 walks in 13 starts with the Mariners this season. In his last 8 starts, dating back to June 23, he is 3-2 with a 4.02 ERA (21 ER, 47.0 IP) with 47 strikeouts and 18 walks. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound right-hander was on the disabled list earlier this season from April 26 - June 23 with right shoulder inflammation. He made 3 rehab starts with AAA Tacoma, going 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA (6 ER, 13.0 IP) with 16 strikeouts and 3 walks. In his first 5 starts of the season (4/3-25), Hernandez was 2-2 with a 4.73 ERA (14 ER, 26.2 IP) with 22 strikeouts and 3 walks.
In parts of 13 Major League seasons with the Mariners, he is 159-113 with a 3.19 ERA (883 ER, 2489.1 IP) with 2333 strikeouts and 716 walks in 372 career starts. He recorded his 2,300th career strikeout on July 4 vs. Kansas City, becoming the 50th pitcher in Major League history to reach that milestone. Hernandez is the Mariners all-time career leader in wins (159), starts (372), quality starts (246), innings pitched (2489.1) and strikeouts (2333). The native of Valencia, Venezuela, originally signed with the Mariners as a non-drafted free agent on July 4, 2002.