Mar. 21 -- HAMELS A-OK, PARK SCRATCHED

BY SCOTT LAUBER

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- So, a few minutes ago, I was standing outside with a few other reporters, watching Cole Hamels and Chan Ho Park throw when Jamie Moyer peeked his head out the door.

"It's just a bullpen," Moyer said with a smile. "We do it every day."

But, obviously, this wasn't a normal bullpen session. It was the first time Hamels threw off a mound since getting an anti-inflammatory injection last Tuesday in Philly. Everything went fine, Hamels said after unleashing 41 pitches (still no curveballs). He threw, sat for about five minutes, then threw again. And during that five-minute breather, Hamels didn't feel any tightening in his left elbow. Before he got the shot, Hamels said his elbow would tighten about 30 seconds after he stopped throwing.

"I think that was the huge point we were trying to make was taking five minutes off and seeing how it felt when I came back to throw again," Hamels said. "From the wind-up, it felt good. The only soreness I think I have was from the injection, and actually, that's been fading day by day. That's just the best feeling I could ever have. Going into the game situations, it's just about trying to be game-ready."

Hamels will start a minor-league game Tuesday (Joe Blanton also will pitch in that game), according to Ruben Amaro Jr. If that goes well, he could still make two spring-training starts before the season opens. So, while starting Opening Day isn't necessarily going to happen (it hasn't been ruled out yet, though), Hamels may be able to start a game during the season's first week.

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Park's left hamstring is still a little sore, particularly when he throws curveballs (he uses his legs more on his breaking pitches). So, he has been scratched from today's start. But Park threw a bullpen session and didn't feel as much soreness. He's scheduled to start Tuesday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin.

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Today's lineup vs. the Twins:
SS Miguel Cairo
RF Greg Dobbs
2B Chase Utley
1B Ryan Howard
CF John Mayberry Jr.
LF Matt Stairs
3B Pedro Feliz
C Chris Coste
RHP Kyle Kendrick

(Updated, 1:05 p.m.): Dobbs has been scratched (replaced by Geoff Jenkins) because of right hamstring soreness. More on that later.