The news comes as the Padres announced Hamels was placed on the voluntary retirement list. Hamels, 39, hasn’t appeared in the majors since 2020 as a member of the Braves. He underwent shoulder surgery in September of 2021 and signed a minor league deal with the Padres in February in hopes of making a comeback. However, things didn’t work out. Hamels, a four-time All-Star and World Series MVP in 2008, will hang it up with 163 career wins and a 3.43 ERA over 15 seasons, most of them coming with the Phillies. For a time, he was one of the best left-handed pitchers in the game.

Hamels is working his way back from a series of shoulder issues that have derailed his comeback efforts the last few years. The hope is that he'll be a potential option for the Padres sometime around midseason, if he can avoid any setbacks. The 39-year-old southpaw signed a minor league contract last month with San Diego and is hoping to get back to the majors for the first time since the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

Hamels, who signed a minor league deal with the Padres last week, is attempting a comeback after undergoing shoulder surgery in September of 2021. The 39-year-old will be brought along slowly, so he won't be an option at the start of the season, but the Padres are hoping the former All-Star still has something left in the tank. 

Hamels will be trying to pull off a pretty remarkable comeback at age 39 after essentially three lost seasons due to shoulder issues that required surgery. Before getting hurt, he was making a case for the Hall of Fame with a 163-122 record along with a strong 3.43 ERA in 2,698 innings. The Padres are expected to go with a six-man rotation initially, something that should suit Hamels if he makes the team. He's no higher than seventh in line for the rotation right now, but if he impresses next month, it will be hard to pass him over. He'll earn $2 million if he's added to San Diego's major league roster.