Cole Hamels could be back in two weeks - MLB

John Finger of CSNPhilly.com reports that Cole Hamels could be pitching for the Phillies in two weeks. Hamels is scheduled to pitch for the Single-A Clearwater Threshers on Friday in Lakeland, Fla. and could need just one more start for Clearwater after that. Then on to the bigs:

“I’ve been going up 15 pitches per game and I’m up to four innings so the next one will be five or six innings,” Hamels said.

“It could be two more, I believe so. We’ll talk about it and discuss it. But everything is going well between starts. There is nothing in the back of my mind and nothing lingering. I’m letting it go good.”

That could put him back in the rotation when the Phillies face the Dodgers between April 21 and April 24.

ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.

Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.

Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.