Joe Skipper/Getty Images(MIAMI) — The Miami Marlins will take the field Monday night for the first time since the death of their star pitcher Jose Fernandez, and to honor him, the entire team will wear No. 16 jerseys.
The game will take place at Marlins Park at 7:10 p.m. ET against the New York Mets.
The Marlins had canceled their game against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday after learning that Fernandez was killed in a boating accident near Miami early that morning.
Fernandez, just 24 years old at the time of his death, amassed several eye-popping seasons in his short career on the professional baseball diamond, winning the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2013.
He had a career earned-run average of just 2.58 over four seasons. He led baseball this season in strikeouts per nine innings with 12.49 among starting pitchers.
He was particularly dominant while playing at home in Miami’s Marlins Park, becoming the first pitcher in the modern era to win his first 17 career home decisions. He eventually went on to go 24-1 in his first 25 home decisions.
Born in Santa Clara, Cuba, Fernandez defected to America in 2008 and became one of the most prominent faces among a wave of Cuban stars breaking into professional baseball at that time.
Copyright © 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
