The long-anticipated but skeptically viewed Cole Hamels return is on the horizon.
Hamels, whom the Braves signed to a big one-year deal last winter hoping he would stabilize the rotation, seems to be approaching his debut. The southpaw threw a live batting practice Sunday and will pitch again Thursday at the alternate training site in Gwinnett.
“There’s a scenario we activate him for that Orioles series (Sept. 14-16),” general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Tuesday.
It’s been an unfortunate eight months for Hamels. The 36-year-old didn’t pitch in the shortened spring training because of shoulder discomfort sustained during offseason workouts. When the season resumed, he was stalled in summer camp because of left-triceps tendinitis. The Braves placed Hamels on the 45-day injured list before opening day, meaning the earliest he could return was the second week of September.
The Braves now are considering how they’ll build up Hamels, who hasn’t pitched in a game since Sept. 28, 2019, with the Cubs. They could do it at Gwinnett, which would push his debut date further back, or it could occur in the majors, where Hamels would begin with two- to three-inning starts.
“We’ll see how he comes out of his outing Thursday,” Anthopoulos said. “He should go around 45 (pitches). We’ll see how he feels at that point. We’ll have to make a decision with the roster, should we activate him knowing that he’ll be limited in terms of innings, or do we have him go one more and potentially bring him back for that last homestand (which begins Sept. 21)? … Those are all scenarios.”
Hamels’ return would be a boost, even pitching in small increments. The Braves’ rotation has been in shambles almost the entire the season. And now, Max Fried, the lone consistent presence of the group, was placed on the injured list Tuesday but is expected to return next week.
There isn’t much time for Hamels to get back in the swing of it. If he returned Sept. 15, for instance, that’s only 12 days before the regular season’s conclusion. But getting anything from Hamels would be welcomed at this point. Given where the Braves’ rotation stands, it won’t take much for him to be an asset.
“I’d love to get him back,” manager Brian Snitker said Monday. “Even however short, it’d be good to have him starting games for us.”
