For Los Angeles Dodgers fans, nostalgic Philadelphia Phillies fans, and any baseball fans who like to see an inspirational comeback story, it would have been cool to see veteran left-hander Cole Hamels successfully play out his return to baseball in 2021 after a lengthy hiatus. Hamels appeared in only one game in 2020, pitching 3.1 innings for the Atlanta Braves, and hadn't pitched otherwise since his 2019 stint with the Chicago Cubs.
There was a glimmer of hope when the Dodgers signed him on August 4. On Monday, August 16, all of that hope faded.
While Hamels obviously can't help getting injured and many in the baseball community feel sympathetic toward the veteran as he needs to sit out once again, there were also those who pointed out how Hamels had earned a hefty sum of money for doing zero work.
That very well may have been the last opportunity for the 37-year-old Hamels in his long MLB career, the best years of which were spent with Philadelphia in the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s. To go along with his three All-Star appearances and his World Series ring that he earned in Philly, Hamels also picked up an All-Star nod in 2016 with the Texas Rangers. That's not to say it's a sure thing that he won't ever pitch again, but this is a big bump in the road.
"Right now we're just sad for Cole," Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts said (via ESPN). "He did everything he could to get back on a major league team and unfortunately it didn't happen."
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