MLB Player News

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr., expressed a lack of concern about the long-term ramifications of the shoulder issues Cole Hamels has experienced, claiming that his ace starter could be ready for the start of the regular season if rushed back. But the Phillies are not about to do that.

"If we wanted to push him tell him to get ready for Opening Day, we could probably do that," he told The News Journal. "But what's the point?"

The brave face could be hiding a more serious problem. Hamels experienced shoulder discomfort last offseason and began the year 2-9 with a 4.58 ERA and finished 8-14 with a 3.60 ERA. He has already stated that he won't be ready to open the year.

Cole Hamels said Wednesday he won't be ready by the start of the season because he felt discomfort in his shoulder and biceps during his throwing program this offseason. While Hamels and the Phillies don't seem alarmed, there could be some cause for concern for Fantasy owners.

If you recall, Hamels dealt with some soreness in his left shoulder last offseason when he was gearing up for the 2013 campaign. Although he was ready by the start of the season, we remind you Hamels was 2-11 with a 4.58 ERA through the first three months of the season.

Now, poor run support did play a part in Hamels' poor win-loss record, but he allowed four or more runs in seven of his first 17 starts, so he also contributed to his struggles. The good news is that Hamels had a strong finish, going 6-3 with a 2.68 ERA in his final 16 starts.

The concern for me is that it sounds like Hamels isn't going to have a normal spring training and when he's finally ready to pitch in April, he could need some time to get caught up to speed. He wouldn't be the first player to struggle or need a conditioning period after missing time during the spring due to injury.

In the long run, Hamels could easily return to his ace form. However, with this news, he's likely to fall down the rankings Draft Day and you might need to look elsewhere for an ace pitcher.

Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels is behind schedule, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Hamels has been dealing with shoulder tendinitis, and will need more time to get ready. He's not expected to start opening day due to the injury. He added that he feels healthy now, but dealt with the issue during the winter. He is not scheduled to undergo an MRI. Hamels said he should be able to throw a bullpen in 8-10 days. He should be ready "shortly after" opening day.

Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez has arrived in camp, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

This would typically be a non-story, but Martinez had trouble getting to camp last season due to visa issues. That left him behind the eight ball once he arrived, delaying his rise to the majors. Martinez had no issues this time around, and should participate in workouts Thursday. He's expected to compete for a starting spot in the team's crowded rotation. If he fails to win a starting job, there's a chance the team would use him out of the pen.

Dodgers starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu said he is "significantly lighter" than he was at the start of spring training last year, according to The Orange County Register. But Ryu wouldn't reveal how much weight he's lost.

The left-handed pitcher is listed as 6-2, 255 pounds on the team's offical website.

Don Mattingly has indicated that Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke will start the two games played in Australia to launch the major league regular season, according to the team website.

Kershaw and Greinke are considered the two top starters on the pitching-rich Dodgers.

The Braves are interested in working out pre-arbitration extensions with Andrelton Simmons and Julio Teheran, according to the New York Post. 

The team worked on a similar deal with Jason Heyward, and was able to hand out a long-term extension with Freddie Freeman. The Braves are a file and trial team, but clearly would prefer to avoid the arbitration process when possible. 

Both players are under team control for a number or years. Teheran is not expected to be a free-agent until after the 2018 season. There's some uncertainty about Simmons' control, but he may be on the same path, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts.

Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler has one goal in mind when he shows up for spring training.

"I’m going into spring training trying to win that opening day job," Wheeler told The New York Post. "That is my mindset going in, no doubt about it. I feel really good right now and I am really confident going into camp."

Mets manager Terry Collins said Wheeler is in the running to start opening day, despite having just 17 MLB starts under his belt. Wheeler added he's ready to build off the lessons he learned as a rookie.

"The biggest thing I learned last year is what it takes to be successful at the big league level," he said. "Not having to do too much, just relying on all your stuff, mentally and physically. What I want to do is control my body. Sometimes last year on like a 1-2 count, I wasn’t trying too hard, but my body would just take over. Now in those situations, just think about how you are going to attack it."

Some teams were concerned free-agent pitcher Jason Hammel was at a heightened risk for an elbow injury, according to ESPN.

Hammel wound up signing a one-year, $6 million deal with the Cubs. Earlier in the offseason, it was reported the Giants wanted to see his medical records. They wound up passing on a deal. Hammel missed about a month last year due to a forearm injury. He posted a 4.97 ERA in 139 1/3 innings. 

The Cubs have signed pitcher Jason Hammel to a one-year deal, according to Yahoo!

Hammel is set to make about $6 million next season. The team will likely hope for a rebound, and then consider dealing Hammel at the deadline for prospects. They employed a similar approach with Scott Feldman last season. Hammel posted a 4.97 ERA in 139 1/3 innings last year.