If you’re anything like me, then you surely held your breath during the middle part of Thursday’s Phillies game -- the series finale against the Boston Red Sox -- while waiting for an update on Cole Hamels’ right hand, after he took a liner off the bat of Adrian Gonzalez in the top of the fourth inning.
Fortunately for Hamels, the x-rays were negative, and the left-handed ace was left with nothing more than a bruise, albeit a bad one, on his non-pitching hand.
And while the initial reports were that Cole would make his next start, scheduled for July 5 in Florida, a later comment by Phils’ General Manager Ruben Amaro refuted that claim.
"X-rays were negative. He suffered a bad bruise at the meaty base of his right thumb, where the ball's stitch marks remained. Hamels' next start is in jeopardy, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.'Hopefully, in 5 days, he'll be ready to pitch,' Amaro said. 'We're not 100 percent sure he'll make his next start.""
It seems like Amaro is managing expectations as opposed to prognosticating about the fate of the young lefty, I suppose that there is as good a chance as any that he’ll miss his next start, if for no other reason than to take the precaution of making sure that he is healthy. Even though the injury did occur to his non-pitching hand, that wouldn’t preclude him from messing with his motion in order to manage the pain and such a change in motion could result in ineffectiveness on the mound.
Long story short, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Long story short, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
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At this point, Hamels is still on track to throw his bullpen session, as he does in between his starts, so we’ll need to wait and see until that happens before making any judgments about whether or not he will be the next player claimed by the disabled list.
From where I’m sitting, it appears that Hamels is probably more likely to make his next than anything else, but only time will tell.
From where I’m sitting, it appears that Hamels is probably more likely to make his next than anything else, but only time will tell.
