Cole Hamels is struggling. It’s obvious. Fans are starting to call for Hamels to pull a Brett Myers and go down to the minors for a bit.
Has it really come to this? Are we Phillies’ fans so quick to forget that Hamels was the 2008 World Series MVP? Is this more of just the fans having a major case of “what have you done for me lately?” Or, is there cause for legitimate concern about the pitcher who was supposed to be the ace of this staff?
In his last 15 starts, courtesy of Baseball Reference, dating back to June 4th, Hamels his 4-6 with a 4.55 ERA. The Phillies are also 7-8 in those 15 games. Hamels just hasn’t been the dominant pitcher that he was for the majority of last season and into the playoffs.
He has shown flashes of his former self, and that just makes his struggles all the more frustrating. It’s not like he’s just been bad all season, he’s had times where he’s the dominating pitcher the Phillies want him to be, and other times, his usually un-hittable changeup just looks like a beach ball.
Is he suffering from an injury? Could it be a back injury from carrying his puppy? A shoulder injury? If something is wrong, no one is telling. Maybe a trip to the DL wouldn’t hurt. He just hasn’t been getting things done. Maybe some time to work things out would be good for him. The Phillies do have a surplus of starting pitchers at the moment, so Hamels could be replaced for a few weeks.
Even without Hamels at his best, the Phillies are rolling. Cliff Lee, J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton are pitching brilliantly right now, so Hamels could take a few weeks off, and the team would be alright. Better for him to get straightened out for the postseason.
Either way, something needs to happen with Hamels. At this point, many people, including myself, wouldn’t even include him in the postseason rotation. I’d have it at Lee, Happ, and Blanton. Ultimately though, the decision comes down to Charlie Manuel, and he’ll have to make a decision sooner, rather than later. The playoffs will be here before we know it.
Ultimately, I think Hamels will be fine. I do think a few weeks off will help immensely, but if there is nothing physically wrong with Hamels, he’ll just have to work it out for himself. Maybe he could ask for some pointers from the Phillies’ new dominant lefty, Clifton Phifer Lee.
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