Braves dealt 2 more blows with Cole Hamels and Yasiel Puig

Share

The hits just keep on coming for the Braves.

The latest out of Atlanta is that Cole Hamels will likely not be ready for the start of the season, according to Braves manager Brian Snitker.

Hamels missed all of spring training with left shoulder inflammation and wasn't ready to go in summer camp after the four-month hiatus. He also missed a side session last weekend because of triceps tendinitis, according to MLB.com.

The Braves signed Hamels this past offseason to a one-year, $18 million deal. They signed Will Smith, one of the best left-handed relievers in baseball, to a three-year, $39 million deal. They signed Felix Hernandez to a one-year deal to be their No. 5 starter. They re-signed Nick Markakis to play right field. Hamels won't be ready, Smith is on the COVID injured list, and Hernandez and Markakis opted out of the season.

Atlanta did attempt to sign Yasiel Puig to make up for the Markakis loss, but Puig has also reportedly tested positive for coronavirus and will not be signed by the Braves.

The absence of superstar Freddie Freeman would be the biggest blow to the Braves if he's unable to play early in the season. Freeman dealt with a rough case of coronavirus and just joined his team for camp Friday.

The Phillies will face the Braves 10 times in 2020. Their first series is a four-game wraparound series from Aug. 7-10 in Philly. The Phils are in Atlanta for three games Aug. 21-23, then host the Braves the following weekend, Aug. 28-30.

Subscribe and rate the Phillies Talk podcast:
Apple Podcasts / Google Play / Spotify / Stitcher / Art19 / YouTube

Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.

More on the Phillies

Contact Us