According to the Wilmington Journal, the Phillies are confident that starter Cole Hamels’ elbow is almost fully healthy as he enters his 2009 debut against the Rockies on Friday.
For the past month, Hamels has had the most scrutinized left elbow in the Delaware Valley — and for good reason. To recap: For about three weeks in spring training, he felt persistent, lingering between-innings stiffness during his starts. So, he returned to Philly and underwent an MRI exam that didn’t reveal structural damage. He received an anti-inflammatory injection March 17 and has been insisting ever since that the discomfort is gone.
Surely, though, team officials still will be holding their breath as Hamels takes the mound here tonight for the opener of a three-game series against the Rockies. Even Charlie Manuel said he’s anxious to see how Hamels responds to the thin mountain air and forecasted temperature in the upper-40s. (Take it from me, it’s chilly here. I walked to dinner last night on the 16th Street Mall and had to bundle up.)
But after overseeing Hamels’ bullpen session Wednesday at the Bank, pitching coach Rich Dubee believes his ace will be just fine.
“Physically, I think he’s fine,” Dubee said. “We ran the MRI and all the tests, and we felt very good about the doctor’s evaluation. Cole is feeling much better than he felt a month ago. He’s definitely headed in the right direction.”
His last spring-training start left some questions, though. Facing the Rays last Saturday, he yielded six runs in six innings, threw 83 pitches and still didn’t crack 90 mph on the radar gun. His fastball maxed out in the high-80s but mostly sat in the mid-80s.
This is just a matter of the Phils’ coaching staff keeping a close eye on Hamels’ mechanics and his pitch count and going from there. I highly doubt he throws more than 85 pitches tonight and he’ll probably be on a short leash. No need to rush this kid with the entire season still ahead.
