Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez getting a new MRI after feeling discomfort in lat area

SEATTLE – Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday after experiencing discomfort in “his lat area and the back of his shoulder,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said.

Hernandez, who has been on the injured list with a Grade 1 lat strain, pitched 2 1/3 innings with Class AAA Tacoma on a rehab start Friday before being pulled from the game with what was described as shoulder fatigue.

Hernandez was scheduled to throw 50 to 60 pitches, but left the game after throwing 31.

“It’s concerning enough that we’ll take new images of that area and try to figure out what is going on,” Servais said. “It wasn’t one pitch. After the second inning, he said this doesn’t feel right and he shut it down.”

Hernandez is 1-4 with a 6.42 earned-run average for the Mariners this season, and he last pitched with the big-league club May 11.

Haniger talks about injury

Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger said he knew he was injured when he fouled a pitch off himself June 6, but remained in the game for a couple of innings despite suffering a ruptured testicle.

“I knew right away something wasn’t right, but I am never going to come out of a game unless it’s too much to bear,” Haniger said Tuesday in his first comments since the injury, which was surgically repaired. “But I didn’t want to make anything worse with the location of the injury.”

Haniger is relegated to just light activity until at least the end of the week. He said he has to avoid strenuous workouts until getting cleared because he would be at risk of getting a hernia.

“Fortunately, it’s not going to be a crazy long recovery,” Haniger said. “I try not to focus on why things happen, just get through it and focus on the positive. Getting through this should make you a stronger person.”