PEORIA, Ariz. -- Cole Hamels knows what it feels like to see the Padres captivate San Diego. He was in attendance at Qualcomm Stadium for that famed September 1998 comeback against the Dodgers to clinch the National League West.

What better way to come full circle?

“I’m very real in knowing I’ve had a great career,” said the 39-year-old Hamels, who finalized a Minor League deal with the Padres this week. “I’m just trying to hang on and make the best of it one last time. To have a final chapter in what I’m doing -- and the opportunity to do it in San Diego -- I know I’ve got to earn every step of the way. I’m here to do that. This is special.”

Hamels hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since making one start for the Braves in 2020. He signed with the Dodgers in 2021 but was shut down due to injury. In his last full season, Hamels posted a 3.81 ERA with the Cubs in 2019. Now the left-hander is looking to make a comeback following shoulder, knee and foot surgeries.

The odds would seem to be stacked against Hamels, who underwent major surgery on his left shoulder in September 2021 with a recovery time of 18-20 months. (“I would’ve traded it for a Tommy John [surgery] any day,” he quipped.) Hamels is still in the throes of that recovery, unlikely to pitch in a game setting until after camp breaks.

But Hamels threw a bullpen Thursday, his first since arriving in Peoria. He’s been throwing one per week, but he’s about to ramp up to two. Plus, he’s now working with a big league training staff with a vested interest in his recovery.

At some point, likely toward the end of camp, Hamels will begin facing hitters. Considering the layoff, he expects a prolonged period of pitching simulated games at the team’s Spring Training complex. If all goes well, Hamels will be pitching competitively midseason.

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At that point, he would have to earn his way back to the big leagues, certainly no guarantee. It’s quite an undertaking for Hamels -- a 2008 World Series champ in Philadelphia and owner of 59 career bWAR -- just for one last shot.

“Shoot, the last memories I have playing Major League Baseball was during COVID [in 2020],” Hamels said. “Nobody was in the stands. It’s a really bitter moment to try to pitch in front of nobody, and my shoulder was not feeling the best.

“I would like one more opportunity to win. I won at such a young age, and it was such a surreal moment, and to see that this moment is something that the Padres are really trying to build towards -- as a kid, I was in the stands in ’98. I saw how special that was.”

Weathers shakes things up 
Ryan Weathers gets the ball second for the Padres, following starter Nick Martinez in Friday’s Cactus League opener (12:10 p.m. PT, live on MLB.TV). Expect to see a slightly different version of the 23-year-old left-hander.

In the offseason, Weathers changed his windup to incorporate going over his head with his glove. He says it gives his delivery a better rhythm and might help disguise his pitches, too.

"Just mechanically, I'm getting smoother," Weathers said. "Going over my head allows me to get a rhythm, allows me to land strong on my front side. Now the breaking ball is moving how it's supposed to, changeup is moving how it's supposed to. I got in a bad habit of falling off the mound a little bit. Just trying to correct that."

Weathers' trajectory has been a strange one. He debuted in the 2020 postseason and was a staple of the rotation early in '21. Then he succumbed to injury. In 2022, Weathers struggled mightily at Triple-A, posting a 6.73 ERA at hitter-friendly El Paso.

"Last year was definitely a development year," Weathers said. "First half of the year [I was] trying to figure out what works. ... It was trial and error. At the time, it sucked. Then second half of the year got a little better. This year, now I have the confidence to go out there and pitch."

Weekend plans 
Right-hander Seth Lugo will make his Padres debut Saturday when the team travels to Camelback Ranch to face the White Sox (12:05 p.m. PT, live on MLB.TV). Lugo, a longtime reliever, is beginning his buildup to a starter's workload this spring.

"He has more pitches than he probably used in relief," Melvin said. "He's excited about being able to throw some pitches that maybe he tried to streamline more in a relief role."

After Lugo, the Padres turn to right-hander Julio Teheran on Sunday. Teheran is in camp as a non-roster invite, viewed as a rotation depth option, unlikely to crack the big league roster.