The Miami Marlins received some good news on Wednesday when Jose Fernandez threw 25 pitches from 30 feet.

It was the beginning of a throwing program for Fernandez who is coming back from season-ending Tommy John surgery. This is the first step in a long process that should the ace back on the mound in a meaningful game sometime during the 2015 season.

Following his throws on Wednesday, Fernandez stated that he felt great. He'll now continue with the program in the coming weeks with breaks mixed in to not stress his surgically repaired elbow. If Fernandez can avoid further injuries, he should an increase in distance and total pitches as the months go by.

Even if there are no setbacks, Fernandez is not expected to be ready for a return to the Marlins until the All-Star break in July of 2015 at the earliest. This could still be enough time to keep Miami in a playoff chase and potentially put it over the top. Adding Fernandez to the rotation could be akin to making a trade at the trade deadline.

The 2013 National League Rookie of the Year was off to an exceptional start to his 2014 season before injuring his elbow. The torn ulnar-collateral ligament was evident in his final start of the season when his E.R.A skyrocketed. Prior to that appearance, Fernandez was putting up numbers that had him in an early discussion for Cy Young.

At only 22-years old, Fernandez has age on his side and has a good chance at returning as an ace following the procedure. There have been several success stories in baseball including Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann of the Washington Nationals who led their team to the best record in the NL this year.

The Marlins could look to add an arm via free agency to begin the 2015 season or may fill the gap with someone in the organization already. A name such as Justin Nicolino could be in the mix, should he have a successful few weeks in Jupiter.