Phillies Notes: Hamels, Defensive Shifts

Cole Hamels' scheduled throwing session was canceled today, as the Phillies' co-ace reported feeling a fatigued arm that wouldn't allow him to go through the throwing motion as he normally would, reports CSNPhilly.com's Jim Hawkins. Said Hamels: "My body is telling me,'Hey, you’ve got to take a step back and start over.'" The outlook for Hamels isn't great, as Hawkins reports that he is now likely to miss the entire month of April. Hamels said a cortisone injection or MRI is unlikely, as all the tests he's done have checked out. Hawkins' article is chock-full of Hamels quotes for Phillies fans and interested parties. Here's more on Hamels' situation and the Phillies…

• Hawkins' colleague Corey Seidman looks at the Phils' options to fill out their rotation in the wake of Hamels' setback. Seidman notes that Ethan Martin has been shut down with shoulder inflammation, and Jonathan Pettibone is also dealing with shoulder pain. Adam Morgan and Shane Watson each had shoulder surgery this offseason. Seidman calls Cliff Lee, A.J. Burnett, Kyle Kendrick and Roberto Hernandez locks for the rotation and says the battle for the fifth spot comes down to Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, David Buchanan, Jeff Manship and Sean O'Sullivan. He lists left-hander Mario Hollands as a darkhorse candidate as well.
• Manager Ryne Sandberg tells Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the Phillies will utilize defensive shifts more frequently in 2014 and have already been working on it in Spring Training. As Gelb writes, the Phillies shifted fewer than 28 of baseball's 30 teams in 2013 and graded out as the worst defensive club in baseball last year, per Baseball Info Solutions. Said Sandberg: "It's something that's grown, and the information is there. Teams have had some success doing that, so that's something to think about and apply."