The Cubs received some welcome news Thursday when first baseman Anthony Rizzo, closer Craig Kimbrel and shortstop Addison Russell returned from injuries. But everything isn’t great on that front for the Cubs, who have scratched left-hander Cole Hamels from his Saturday start because of fatigue in his pitching shoulder, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Fellow southpaw Jose Quintana will take his place in that game – an enormous matchup against the archrival Cardinals.
There’s no word on whether Hamels will be able to pitch again this season, but his shoulder issue is one that has troubled him “for several weeks,” Bastian writes. It’s the latest health problem in what was already an injury-shortened season for Hamels, who sat out more than a month earlier in the summer because of an oblique strain. It may also help to explain the recent struggles the normally steady Hamels has endured of late. The 35-year-old hasn’t thrown more than 4 1/3 innings in any of his three September starts, during which he has yielded eight earned runs on 16 hits and 11 walks (with 13 strikeouts) in 11 frames.
Thanks in part to his woes this month, Hamels currently owns a 3.92 ERA (his highest since the end of May) with 8.83 K/9 and 3.66 BB/9 in 137 2/3 innings on the season. The fact that the longtime workhorse hasn’t held up throughout this year, not to mention his age, should bode poorly for him when he enters free agency after the season. In the here and now, though, a limited Hamels is a less-than-ideal development for Chicago, which is fighting for its life in a heated NL playoff race.
Sure, why not? Might as well go big and end the suspense now.
The season looks over for the cubs, but if I’m wrong, they should definitely never…ever-ever… use Hamels as a starter again. Dude looks compromised. Straight agent.
Idiotic statement. Before his injury Hamels was a low 2 pitcher, as a Cubs/baseball fan I would take that any day. If the Cubs make the playoffs He will be a key piece.
He has some kind of shoulder issue now but not even a few weeks ago I was thinking that the Sox should try to sign him seeing as he’s a veteran who has a winning past. Man I don’t know anymore
No thanks.
How’s he dealing with being on a non playoff team?
I have a hard time imagining him signing anywhere but Philly in the offseason.
Can we send Kimbrel back to IL?
Cub killers: Molina and Carpenter ( Cards), Suarez and Votto ( Cincy), Braun ( Brewers), and the newest Cub killer……… Kimbrel ( Cubs).
Hamels had shoulder issues early in the season! It’s part of the game when you are pitcher over 35 years old with mileage on his shoulder!