Cole Hamels out for the season
Cole Hamels met with the media at 3:00 p.m. ET Monday. There was no indication he had any issues with his arm.
A little over an hour later, Hamels approached GM Alex Anthopoulos and told him he did not believe his arm would cooperate for the rest of the season. Hamels told Anthopoulos that he "can't get anything behind the ball."
And just like that, Hamels was done for the season.
After meeting with the media, Hamels went out and threw on the side - not a bullpen but just throwing on the side, and it obviously did not feel good enough for him to believe he could continue this season.
The Braves spent $18 million on Hamels, and with the prorated salary, he will make $6,666.667 for one start - a 3.1 inning game last Thursday when he gave up three runs on three hits, one walk and two strikeouts.
That's $666,666.70 per out.
Hamels was asked (in the video above) what he was hoping for in his final two starts, which were expected to be Tuesday and Sunday.
"Getting up to a really good, healthy pitch count," Hamels said. "I think when you're really able to a healthy pitch count, seeing obviously the ratios of what pitches I'm throwing, and if I'm able to kind of get a predominant higher percentage of fastballs in there, everything is going to play out fat. And then just percentage of strikes. That's really what I want to do is to throw strikes and just really plug away. And with that, that's going to build. If I'm able to build off that, you gain that sort of confidence and then you get locked it. You want to be locked in for postseason."
Does that sound like someone who a little over an hour later would determine that he could not pitch again this season?
The Braves will instead use Bryse Wilson in Tuesday's start against the Marlins. They'll move Max Fried up to Wednesday and then Ian Anderson up to Thursday.
Regardless of the strangeness associated with Hamels' quick departure, the Braves were obviously surprised and disappointed.
"I hate it for him. He's worked so hard and put so much time in," said manager Brian Snitker after the Braves' win over the Marlins in game one of the series.
Snitker now must deal with another starting pitcher going down with an injury that ends his season. And more importantly, he must figure out what to do when the Braves get to the postseason.
Fried and Anderson are locks to be starters, and now Kyle Wright will likely be the third starter. Tommy Milone doesn't seem to be an option, not that the team would want him to be anyway. And they prefer Josh Tomlin to be the long man out of the bullpen.
Either way, the Braves are in a mess. And now the starting pitcher they worked so hard with to get back to make it to the playoffs can't go in October.
For more Braves coverage, listen to The Bill Shanks Show weekdays at 3:00 pm ET on SportsRadio 93-1 WXKO TheSuperStations.com. You can follow Bill on Twitter @billshanks and email him at thebillshanksshow@yahoo.com.