February 23, 2020 11:59 AM : Hamels (shoulder) reported to camp Saturday but won't resume his throwing program for at least two more weeks, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. "At this point, if I rush, I think it would take me a lot longer to get to 100 percent," Hamels said. "I don't think that is fair to the team, and it's not fair to other starters who are champing at the bit to help the team win. It's about coming in and making sure I'm a big part as opposed to a small one."
Analysis: After inking a one-year deal with Atlanta in the offseason, Hamels developed shoulder irritation in January and has been shut down ever since. "It just kind of hit a point where I knew I couldn't get past it," he said. "Soreness is good, but you have to know what soreness is good and what is bad. It was just kind of getting away from that comforting feel of knowing you're pushing it, you're getting better and you're getting stronger. It was more toward that injury area." The delayed start to his spring will rule him out for an Opening Day rotation spot, but the team should have a more concrete target date for the veteran left-hander's 2020 debut once he gets re-evaluated in early March.