Fernandez returns to mound for Jupiter

While the results weren't vintage Jose Fernandez, the Marlins ace showed he still has his good stuff.

Making his first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery 13 months ago, the 2013 National League Rookie of the Year gave up five runs on eight hits over three innings on Saturday night for Class A Advanced Jupiter in a 7-6 loss at Charlotte.

Despite the outcome, Fernandez displayed a fastball that repeatedly was clocked at 97 mph and hit 99 at one point. He struck out the first batter he faced, Dayron Varona, on three pitches and fanned Pat Blair in the second while also issuing a walk. The velocity was a sign that Fernandez was very much looking forward to his return.

"That means I was a little amped up," he told MLB.com.

Operating under a 60-pitch limit, Fernandez (0-1) threw 39 of 54 pitches for strikes. While the 22-year-old right-hander was touched for eight hits, seven were singles and most of those were balls that were just out of the reach of Hammerheads fielders.

"I couldn't ask for anything more," Marlins rehab pitching coordinator Wayne Rosenthal told MLB.com. "The pitch count was the biggest thing. He got there. The results mean nothing to me. He came off healthy, so that's the biggest thing for me."

Fernandez likely will rejoin the Marlins sometime next month, making Saturday merely the first step in the process. The 14th overall pick in the 2011 Draft is slated to pitch for Jupiter at least one more time, possibly on Friday. No matter the results, Fernandez said his only concern is how his arm feels and how he commands his pitches.

"I would love to go out there and give up no runs, but I'm trying to work on my stuff," he said. "There's different situations that I could've thrown different pitches and get them out or pitches that I know that they were not going to hit, but the pitches that I want to work on were where I needed to be."

Saturday marked Fernandez's first Florida State League appearance since Aug. 30, 2012. That was a big year for the Cuba native as he pitched in the All-Star Futures Game and went 14-1 with a 1.75 ERA and 158 strikeouts across two Minor League levels.

In 2013, Fernandez earned a spot on the Marlins' Opening Day roster and ended up going 12-6 with a 2.19 ERA to earn Rookie of the Year honors. He got off to a similar start last season but exited a May 9 start against the Padres after his fastball velocity dipped to 90 mph. A week later, he had Tommy John surgery.

Justin Bohn homered and drove in three runs for Jupiter.

Mike Marjama collected three hits and three RBIs for the Stone Crabs, while Rays' No. 21 prospect Jake Bauers reached base three times and scored twice.

Kirby Yates, rehabbing a strained pectoral muscle, gave up a run while walking a batter in a hitless inning for Charlotte. Jacob Faria followed and improved to 10-1, giving up four runs -- three earned -- on three hits and two walks while striking out six over six innings. Brad Schreiber notched his league-leading 15th save with a perfect ninth.