Hernandez also just turned 20 years old and still needs time to grow and acclimate to professional baseball, particularly with the innings workload<\/a> he’s undertaking in 2026.<\/p>\n Jul 12, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; National League pitcher Seth Hernandez (22) throws a pitch against American League in the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n The future Pirates ace pitched less than a combined 110 innings over his junior and senior seasons at Corona High School, and while he also had more innings pitched at showcases, professional baseball and the schedule are much different than that.<\/p>\n Hernandez threw 69 innings over 16 starts between Single-A Bradenton and Greensboro before the All-Star break, where he represented the Pirates on the National League at the Futures Game.<\/p>\n He is currently at 74 pitches after two starts post-All-Star break, but was confident about going further with his innings workload following the Futures Game<\/a>. <\/p>\n “Solid. I feel like it\u2019s been flying by,” Hernandez said at the Futures Game. “I already made more starts than I did last year, more innings, more pitches, a lot of that stuff. The body is holding up well. The mental is holding up well, as well. That\u2019s one of the most important parts.”<\/p>\n This injury may be just a small setback for Hernandez, or could keep him out for some time, but either way, the Pirates will make sure to keep their future star pitcher as healthy as they can the rest of 2026.<\/p>\n![\"National](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kyff60cdgh012ajag0.jpg\" "\\"National")
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