Jose Luis Fernandez

A Marlins teammate declined Jose Fernandez's invite to join him on the boat

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:50 p.m. ET

Brett Smiley

On Monday, the Miami Marlins took the field at Marlins Park for the first time after the tragic death of their ace starting pitcher Jose Fernandez, who was killed in a boating accident early Sunday morning.

Many of Fernandez's players fought through tears during the game, including second baseman Dee Gordon who crushed a leadoff home run in the late 24-year-old's honor, calling it the "best moment of my life."

On Monday, Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna also spoke about declining Fernandez's invitation to join him on that boat. Ozuna said, via the Miami Herald:

Fernandez was killed along with two other individuals when the 30-foot boat crashed into a jetty on Miami Beach.

The outfielder said it hit him even harder when he got the ballpark and witnessed the somber mood, saying he "just shut down."

(L to R) Martin Prado, Adeiny Hechavarria and Ozuna.

Yahoo!'s Jeff Passan reported that on Saturday, Fernandez actually extended an invitation on the boat to a number of his teammates.

"One by one, they declined," Passan wrote. "And there they were Monday, back in uniform, the uniform he was supposed to be wearing, too, thinking that if not for the instinct that told them to say no, it could’ve been them."

Ozuna and Fernandez came up through the Marlins organization together and both debuted in 2013, the season that Fernandez won the NL Rookie of the Year award.

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Jose Luis Fernandez

Miami Marlins

Major League Baseball