JUPITER, Fla. -- Whether it's a back field or the big field inside Roger Dean Stadium, Jose Fernandez is eager to pitch. The Marlins' ace gets his first chance on Wednesday morning in an intrasquad game.
Fernandez is scheduled to throw two innings on a back field starting at approximately 11 a.m. ET. The 23-year-old right-hander also noted that he and the team are close to mapping out his innings range.
"I want to pitch and give these guys a chance to win six times a month," Fernandez said. "That's all I want. I'm looking forward to it, a lot."
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Fernandez, who had Tommy John surgery on May 16, 2014, will be on an innings range around 180. The Marlins are in the process of talking with Fernandez's camp, including his physician, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed the surgery.
"I think the team is talking with my doctor now," Fernandez said. "We'll meet maybe [Wednesday] or the day after. We're all going to talk. It shouldn't be a big deal."
Fernandez made 11 big league starts in 2015, and was 6-1 with a 2.92 ERA in 64 2/3 innings.
"I'm healthy. I'm not rehabbing. I'm ready to go," Fernandez said. "I don't want to get treated like, 'Oh, he's hurt.' Nothing like that. I'm ready to go. I showed up healthy. I passed all the tests.
"Everything looks fantastic. So far, I'm really, really happy with the way I'm throwing the ball. I'm very happy."
Fernandez expects to make his first Grapefruit League start on Monday against the Nationals in Viera, Fla.
Along with Fernandez, David Phelps, Edwin Jackson and Bryan Morris will pitch in the intrasquad game, which is expected to be 3 1/2 innings.