Cole Hamels Experienced Offseason Shoulder Soreness

"Cole, I found that these dolphins have mysterious shoulder-healing powers."

"Thanks, Doc." (photo via Dan Gross from 2011)

Unquestionably, the most counted on Phillie going into the season is Cole Hamels. 

So of course he experienced an offseason shoulder issue.

Jim Salisbury reports that Hamels “encountered an issue” in his offseason throwing program and contacted team trained Scott Sheridan:

Amaro confirmed that the issue arose early in the offseason and the GM disclosed that Hamels actually had “some shoulder soreness at the end of the season.” Amaro said that shoulder soreness was “not uncommon.”

According to Amaro, Hamels “got aggressive” with his throwing program sometime in October. The pitcher, according to Amaro, “had some soreness” and contacted [head athletic trainer] Scott Sheridan.

“We shut him down for a couple of weeks, but he’s fine now,” Amaro said. “He was being proactive more than anything else, which is good. We backed him off and slowed him down, but he’s back throwing now and doing fine. He’s had no complaints.”

It sounds like nothing. But, Amaro is the same guy whose updates on injuries to Ryan Howard and Chase Utley last year were grotesquely inaccurate.

Every pitcher, ever, for all eternity, will experience shoulder soreness from time to time, especially when first beginning an offseason throwing program. This doesn’t sound like anything to worry about. But remember it.