Hamels Has MRI on Left Shoulder
Posted by Pat Gallen, Mon, August 15, 2011 10:05 PM | Comments: 30
Analysis, News, Opinion, Posts
According to a report from CSNPhilly.com, Cole Hamels underwent a precautionary MRI on his sore left shoulder today.
His left shoulder was unable to loosen up after his last start and he struggled against the Nationals. Hamels finished just five innings and gave up three runs on six hits while walking four batters. Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee mentioned that he wasn’t able to get loose in his start against the Giants on August 6, however, as you know, Hamels pitched a gem and nearly shutout San Francisco had it not been for a ninth inning home run.
Even if the outcome is a good one (although the Phillies have not commented yet on the situation), this is bad news. It could just be fatigue or a dead arm period for Hamels. Still, it’s tough to hear that it was scary enough to the team that they (may have) sent him to get it checked out. I know the team has to take precautionary measures, but that still doesn’t make it any easier.
Hamels is having another amazing season and although there has been no negative response from anyone involved, I’m sure everyone is hoping the Golden Lefty is just fine.
Posts: 0 Andrew from Waldorf
Very troubling. This is why you have to try to win it all while there is a window.
An MRI is not a dead arm. Hope there isnt more to this.
Anytime anything is done with a pitchers arm its a huge deal.
Dave Bush was signed today though.
Thats a joke.
Posted: 11:40 PM on August 15, 2011
Posts: 0 Andrew from Waldorf
Every Mark Prior and Kerry Wood story starts with a little blurb like this.
I cannot see how he is not put on the DL now and given rest with hope he will be ready for the playoffs.
Posted: 11:45 PM on August 15, 2011
Posts: 265 Bruce
I see that someone here finally comes forward with Hamel’s “shoulder stiffness” (as described by Charlie Manuel the other day). Along with pitching coach, Rich Dubee, both had to addressed this issue when questioned by the media after Hamels was pulled after five innings of ineffective pitching. I had expressed this concern in an earlier thread about Hamel’s belief tha he may have a “dead arm”. I do hope that the MRI shows nothing to be concern about and all he needs is some rest.
Also, Manuel is considering using a six man rotation later in the season to provide additional time of rest for Hamels and the other starters.
Posted: 11:46 PM on August 15, 2011
Posts: 0 joey
anyone see the SF ATL game tonight? — Monday AUG 15? Wilson– the idiot with the fake beard– go SHELLED and had another Blown save
Posted: 12:07 AM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 bacardipr05
Kool news joey..Wish we can shell him once in a while…freaking braves can do it…we should be able to….Hope for(out) standing sake though the Giants pull off the next two.
Posted: 02:08 AM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 bacardipr05
Meaning it benefits us more if Braves fail..
Posted: 02:14 AM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 greg legg
I can’t understand why Wilson doesn’t get ripped more often. His stuff is nothing special. Wish someone would pop him with a line drive.
Dave Bush? Why? Can’t Halladay just take two turns in the rotation every go-around? His conditioning routine is legendary.
Posted: 02:46 AM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 bacardipr05
Why Dave Bush they always sign these bum’s with grand illusions that one maybe just one will be a Diamond in the rough. I cant recall in recent history if any of them(pitcher) has ever panned out. The guy had one good year. I suppose they think they can fix his mechanics where the Rangers, Blue Jays an Brewers couldnt. Who knows just maybe one will.
Posted: 04:48 AM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 Brooks
I’m not going to worry about it this time. After all, these pitchers now a day seem to need a rest
Posted: 08:20 AM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 2118 Lefty
I’m not too worried either. If we were talking about an elbow problem, I’d be more concerned.
Posted: 10:19 AM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 tavian
I do not like this Hamel news one bit. I hope things work out for him an for us fans. Bad time for arm trouble.
Posted: 10:21 AM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 793 Manny
Are you kidding me? This sucks. I hope everything is alright and that worse case scenario, he only misses one start.
Posted: 10:58 AM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 Don M
to the comment above that Wilson’s stuff isn’t that good ??? Have you seen him pitch… he throws hard, with lots of late movement, and consistently keeps the ball low in the zone …
He’s a jackass, and his persona is jaded … but he’s a pretty damn good relief pitcher
Posted: 11:02 AM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 38 RatBastardNJ
The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Why panic until we get all of the news instead of speculating? Maybe it is what the headline says it is…precautionary. I am still more concerned about Poly at this time than this news. If it turns out bad…then I will let out a scream…but until then I will remain calm!
Posted: 11:04 AM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 Mazinman
If Cole has any issues with his shoulder then shut him down until the end of September. Give him a couple starts to get back into the swing of things and go into the playoffs strong.
Even if there is nothing wrong with his shoulder the Phillies should really think about going to a six man rotation with Kendrick. That extra day of rest will help out in the playoffs and Kyle was doing a decent enough job when he was a starter.
Posted: 11:06 AM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 1637 Chuck A.
“They always sign these bums with grand illusions that one maybe just one will be a diamond in the rough.”
Not that these guys are necessarily “bums” …. but recent late-season acquisitions are Jamie Moyer, Kyle Lohse, Joe Blanton. Lohse pitched well and Blanton and Moyer helped us win it all in 2008.
Seems like we have a decent track record so let’s just put a little faith in the braintrust before we pass too much judgement on Dave Bush being here.
Posted: 12:31 PM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 684 betasigmadeltashag
I do not know about a six man rotatiion, these guys are used to their routines I would not mess with that at all. If you want to give them once the playoff spot is locked up, limit there pitch counts and’/or Innings pitched, too much screwing around with routines especially guys like Lee, and Doc may cause more problems then not. Let them pitch ever fifth day, once the rosters are expanded you will have enough young arms you can trot out there afteer five innings.
Posted: 01:40 PM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 Andrew from Waldorf
I figured this would happen.
Elbows they have a thing called Tommy John.
Shoulders are actually worse. There is no magic potion there.
You can fix elbows. You cannot shoulders.
You tread lightly here and elbow much more preferable to shoulder.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Prior
Posted: 02:32 PM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 Andrew from Waldorf
Here is a story that touches on this.
Before I get into a big argument abotu it. It is something I thought was “known”.
I so wish it was an elbow and not a shoulder. Or I wouldnt even spend the time to comment on it.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5571173
Posted: 02:52 PM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 Andrew from Waldorf
Also a bad shoulder will always additional strain on the elbow. So a sore shoulder usually leads to elbow problems. Priors elbow “problems” were because of the shoulder etc etc.
Not trying to be gloom and doom but IMO this is so far the story of the year. As it will have repercussions for this year and beyond.
Posted: 03:02 PM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 2118 Lefty
So the gloom and doom has set in so much that we’re posting links now? Well try this one-
And if you are not a baseball blog doctor, and don’t care to read the whole thing, here is the important part-
“The key, most veterans agree, is to do the only thing you can do to get rid of it.
“Just pitch through it,” Sabathia says.
Easier said than done for a 6-foot-7, 280-pound perennial Cy Young candidate, but Linebrink says Sabathia’s dead-on about curing dead arm.
“You absolutely have to just keep going and pitching and you know it’ll come back,” Linebrink says.”
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090820&content_id=6526748&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
Posted: 03:17 PM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 Andrew from Waldorf
Nice photo of Lirianos dead arm. And his 5 plus ERA in a pitchers park.
Was it to the point that CC got an MRI?
In case you missed the article I posted. Here is the important part.
Or 170 pound Cole can just throw through it like 270 pound CC?
For pitchers facing shoulder surgery however, what waits on the other side is far less certain. Only 35 percent to 50 percent of throwing athletes return to their previous level of performance following shoulder surgery. One study presented at the 2008 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Specialty Day Meeting indicated that of 12 players at the high professional level (major league baseball, Triple-A and Double-A) who underwent shoulder surgery, only one made it back to that high level of play. These numbers may help explain why Mark Prior has been unable to recapture the glory years, why Jason Schmidt now works in business, not baseball, and why Brandon Webb, who last pitched in a game in April 2009, has yet to return to the mound.
Posted: 03:27 PM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 2118 Lefty
I read it, I read it. Sheeesh ! Have you ever heard of self full-filing prophecy? Getting what you wish for? Think positive thoughts!! Allow the good karma to rush through you.
Got to run, I’ll get in touch with you later Andrew.
Posted: 03:36 PM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 Andrew from Waldorf
OK Dr. Lefty has prescribed it as dead arm. I am fine with it now.
Heck make him pitch more innings to get past it.
I guess you guys will blame me though if Cole gos on the DL. Nothing new there.
Posted: 03:44 PM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 bacardipr05
Chuck i was speaking of guys that where released/cut or havent pitched in eon’s (Matt Anderson types). Those guys you mentioned where different. Other than Pedro none of them really panned out.
Posted: 03:49 PM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 680 The Original Chuck P
I had a bad feeling that this might be something more than just one bad start.
http://baseballjunkies.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-phillies-might-be-concerned-cole.html
They need to be very careful. It could just be a dead arm and maybe it’s just taking a little longer to get it back but shoulders are very important… like everyone else has mentioned, there is no magic pill for shoulder injuries. The precautionary MRI is fine… it will be very interesting to see how they approach his upcoming starts. Do they tell him to pitch through it or do they skip a start and give him some extra rest?
Posted: 04:01 PM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 Andrew from Waldorf
@ OCP
you dont tell your young stud pitcher to pitch through it.
Thats suicidal and the Phillies are not in a situation to be suicidal.
I would say chances of a DL stint are 99-100%
thus the Dave Bush signing.
Posted: 04:06 PM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 680 The Original Chuck P
Several media outlets reporting that Hamels will miss his next start… gotta sit here and hope that the MRI didn’t show anything out of the ordinary. Hopefully, this is just a little bit of extra rest as a precaution. I think that it’s the right move to make – have to be extra careful. I’ve never heard of anyone pitching through shoulder stiffness… if it was just a dead arm like so many people were saying (including Dubee and Hamels), then they could have tried to let him pitch through it. The fact that they had a “precationary” MRI tells me that it was never a dead arm to begin with… it was always something a little more worrisome. That doesn’t mean that the MRI is going to show anything wrong but it could be something a little more serious than a dead arm. In any event, it’s not good…
Posted: 04:45 PM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 0 Andrew from Waldorf
Agree 100%
The events of the last few days are telling me this is more serious than something you throw through.
Posted: 06:24 PM on August 16, 2011
Posts: 2118 Lefty
Gloom and Doom, Gloom and Doom-
Oops, Oh wait- what’s this I’m reading? There’s no structural damage?, none? not even a little bit? There must be something more! Gloom and Doom
He came out of a game earlier this year with a back problem, and made his next start. He hurt his hand on a come backer, and made his next start.
Now they say, just a little mild inflammation, Cole will miss one start, and we’re supposed to accept that? Oh there must be something they are not telling us, Gloom and Doom, Gloom and Doom. My shoulder has been hurting for thirty years, hey, maybe I don’t have to go to work tomorrow! I knew I could pull something positive out of this!
Posted: 08:25 PM on August 16, 2011