Cole Hamels Elbow Woes; Will the Phillies be Attentive to His Therapeutic Needs?
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MLB.com’s Ken Mandel reports that ace lefthander “Cole Hamels acknowledged Tuesday that his return will depend on his team’s place in the standings as well as his ailing left elbow.”
Mandel also reports that Hamels indicates that “his elbow woes have stemmed from his ongoing back problems, for which he regularly visits a chiropractor.”
Hamels notes that chiropractor appointments are easy to come by when the Phillies are at home but “are sometimes difficult to come by, and Hamels feels such lapses, caused by a majority of road games in July and August, have led to his elbow injury.”
Mandel reports;
Hamels suffered a setback in an Aug. 31 bullpen session, which was supposed to be his final tune-up for a start on Sept. 2. That plan was shelved when Hamels’ left elbow flared, adding to his frustration of missing key games in a playoff race.
He said he’ll try to throw again on Friday. If all goes well, he hoped to return in about 10 days, or around Sept. 17, which could put him on schedule for the final two weeks of the season.
That’s a big if.
“I think there’s a chance that we might not see him,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “It depends on how he feels.”
Hamels just wants to feel as great as he does when not throwing a baseball. The pain of Aug. 31 pushed him back a week, assuming the anti-inflammatory medication take hold.
“We just keep bumping it back until I feel good,” he said. “Friday is when they give me a final test to see if I can go to that initial goal of throwing again.”
Hamels was very clear in his belief [regarding chiropractors and the elbow/back connection], and reiterated this belief several times. He understands that the medical community is often against chiropractors, and some players have to see them without their employers knowing. This isn’t true in Hamels’ case, as the Phillies are fine with his frequent visits.
“Chiropractic medicine is something obviously people use to their benefit,” assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “We don’t provide it and it isn’t commonly provided throughout the industry. Maybe two or three teams do.”
Though he doesn’t have a medical degree, Amaro said he doesn’t believe Hamels’ back issues have caused his elbow pain.
“I would be surprised if the tendon problem he is having in his elbow is either best served or reduced with the use of chiropractic medicine,” he said.
That said, Amaro said the team discussed the issue in the past and would be willing to evaluate it further.
Noting the inordinate number of Phillies pitchers who went down with injuries this season, including Tom Gordon and Brett Myers, might poor pitching coach and front office managerial judgements have contributed to pitcher’s injuries? Might the club be wise to heed their ace’s suggestion?
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