Cubs starter Cole Hamels’ first bullpen session Wednesday during his rehab throwing program went well enough that pitching coach Tommy Hottovy sounded optimistic about a timeline for returning from the injured list that aligned roughly with Hamels’ estimate of the first of August.
That would be barely a month since he left a start in Cincinnati after one inning June 28 because of a left oblique strain.
Barring a setback in the aftermath of Wednesday’s 24-pitch session, Hamels is on track for a full-scale bullpen session over the weekend, after which a minor-league rehab start could be in play as a next step.
“It really just depends where we are after that second bullpen what our schedule looks like, where we’re going to be, and see what our options are,” said Hottovy, who has three scheduled off days in the next 12 to manipulate his rotation.
“Just because of how our schedule works we have more of an opportunity to get him a rehab start [as opposed to a simulated game], and then work him in later,” Hottovy added. “Also, if he feels good, we don’t want to slow-play Cole Hamels. He’s a guy we want in the rotation.”
Hamels, who was symptom-free by the All-Star break, was one of the hottest pitchers in the majors when he got hurt, with a 1.22 ERA in June.
He said Tuesday he might be ready to return to the Cubs’ rotation around Aug. 1.
With the Cubs planning to use the off days to go with a four-man rotation after another Alec Mills fill-in start next week in San Francisco, a Hamels return would slot ideally Aug. 2 or 3 at home against the Brewers.
Mills on tap
Mills earned another look in the rotation after surviving a rough first inning Tuesday to get through six without allowing another run Tuesday in the Cubs’ 4-3 extra-inning victory.
“If you insert Millsy at the right time [next week] things fall into place pretty well,” manager Joe Maddon said of the near-term rotation plans. “He’s definitely a big-league caliber pitcher. I don’t think he’s a ‘4-A’ guy. He’s more than that. He just needs opportunity. … This guy is a little bit better than people know.”
Mills gave up three runs in the first Tuesday after retiring the first two batters of the inning, then pitched five scoreless innings after that in his first big-league outing of the season.
“For a guy who’s been mostly a minor-league guy, I still consider him kind of like one of those veteran guys,” Hottovy said. “He’s smart. He’s poised. He comes in after that inning and says, ‘I thought I did this well; I didn’t do this well.’ And then we talked through it, and he’s able to wipe it clean and reset. … That really set the tone for the rest of the game.”
Almora gaffe
Albert Almora Jr. was back in the lineup, leading off Wednesday, after a ninth-inning gaffe Tuesday – when he hung his head and failed to run until it was too late on a third-strike wild pitch with first base open in a 3-3 game.
The potential winning run moved up to third on the play as Almora was thrown out for the second out of the inning, just ahead of Martin Maldonado’s strikeout.
“I sicced two coaches on him right after the game, and I’m waiting to hear back from them,” Maddon said. “That was really annoying at the moment, there’s no question, to everybody. You really need to be self-aware in that moment and try to run, obviously. I can’t defend that part of it.”
