Cole Hamels has made a lot of money over the last two seasons for producing very few results.
The Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday placed Hamels on the 60-day injured list. The move came after Hamels’ simulated game was cut down from two innings to one, signifying some sort of arm issues.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale says that Hamels had some arm pain and was shut down for the season.
Cole Hamels had arm pain again and is done for the year while the #Dodgers are on the hook for $1 million.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 17, 2021
This is the second season in a row where Hamels has been shut down earlier than he had hoped.
The 37-year-old pitcher tossed just 3.1 innings in his only start of last season before being shut down due to triceps and shoulder issues. Hamels was on a 1-year, $18 million deal last season that got prorated for the shortened season.
This year, Hamels put on a showcase in July for interested teams. The Dodgers ended up signing him, giving him $1 million guaranteed, plus $200,000 per start. They’re on the hook for the $1 million, but they’re probably disappointed not to be paying for any starts.
After being shut down two seasons in a row, Hamels’ future has to be in doubt. He will turn 38 this offseason and last had close to a full season in 2019. He was effective that season, going 7-7 with a 3.81 ERA. But he will have a ways to go to be healthy for 2022.
