Cole Hamels' Bad Fortune Continues

Did Phillies ace Cole Hamels really build up this much bad karma by simply leading Philadelphia to a World Series Championship?

So far this season, which isn't even a month old, Hamels has had elbow issues, been pushed back due to shoulder issues, been nailed in the shoulder by a line drive and been roughed up for a 9.69 ERA heading into Tuesday night.

Speaking of Tuesday night, Hamels was forced to leave his start after spraining his ankle. Details as to the severity of the injury he suffered trying to field a bunt are unclear at this point.

Hamels is quite important to the Phillies. No matter how many runs they can score, at some point they have to get a little starting pitching. Without him, the rotation is really thin. We're talking about Brett Myers moonlighting as an ace, followed by Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer and Chan Ho Park. That's not exactly a championship-caliber staff.

More details on Hamels to follow, but he could certainly use some good news.