Surging Mariners place Felix Hernandez on DL, call up trade addition Marco Gonzales

Hernandez is dealing with biceps tendinitis, resulting in the call-up of a newly-acquired prospect

The Seattle Mariners have won four of their last six games to climb to within 1 1/2 games of the second wild card spot, though they will be without their nominal staff ace for at least 10 days.

Saturday afternoon the Mariners placed Felix Hernandez on the 10-day DL with biceps tendinitis, the team announced. Marco Gonzales, who came over from the Cardinals a rare prospect-for-prospect trade last month, will replace him in the rotation.

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

Hernandez is no longer the Cy Young-winning version of himself, though he does have a 3.10 ERA in his last five starts, and the Mariners will miss him. Overall, Felix has a 4.28 ERA in 13 starts and 73 2/3 innings in 2017. James Paxton has taken over as the club's ace, if not in name than certainly in performance. He is 12-3 with an AL-leading 2.70 ERA in 113 1/3 innings this season.

Gonzales, 25, is in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, and has a 3.02 ERA in 86 1/3 Triple-A innings this year. He made one spot start for St. Louis earlier this season, allowing five runs in 3 1/3 innings. Gonzales has a 5.53 ERA in 40 2/3 career big-league innings.

Seattle has baseball's longest postseason drought -- they haven't played October baseball since 2001 -- though they are in striking distance now. Hernandez going on the disabled list won't help matters.