Report: Cole Hamels will join Phillies' rotation Wednesday in Los Angeles

Cole Hamels is 99-74 with a 3.38 ERA in eight seasons with the Phillies. (Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images)

The Phillies' pitching staff, which is 26th in the league with a 4.70 ERA, will receive a boost on Wednesday, when Cole Hamels will make his season debut against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.

Philly manager Ryne Sandberg said on Friday that Hamels' Wednesday return was likely.

"Good reports on him," Sandberg said at the time, after Hamels had thrown seven innings in his final rehab start. "Command was good. He was throwing strikes and throwing all of his pitches in the zone for strikes. That's all good."

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The 30-year-old has been out with a biceps injury. He is coming off a season when he went 8-14 with a 3.60 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 220 innings. It broke his streak of six straight seasons with at least 10 wins.

The three-time All-Star has pitched at least 200 innings in five of the last six years.

The Phillies (7-9) have lost three of their last four and have been outscored 22-8 during that stretch. They are in the midst of a

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