Josh Hamilton injury to be evaluated on Thursday
Mostly incumbent due to a left groin strain injury, Josh Hamilton played through the last few weeks of the 2011 Major League Baseball season with a good level of performance. Entering the playoffs, he was mostly out of his attacking wave. His resurgence
in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals gave the club a fighting chance in the end. Now with the competition over, the Texas Rangers outfielder is scheduled to fly to Philadelphia for an examination on his injury.
The Rangers’ star player was impressive this season, even after losing six weeks of the campaign due to an elbow injury. Though his playing time was limited, he picked up 25 home runs, 94 RBIs and 80 runs. His batting average from 121 games was .298.
His postseason performance dipped but that was mostly due to the problems he had with his injury. He avoided accusing the constraint as a probable reason for his lower level performance. In the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays,
he hit four times in 15 At-Bats. His batting average was .267.
In the Championship Series, he was up to the mark again as he managed a .308 batting average, slotting in five RBIs and four 4 runs. His World Series performance was a bit disappointing as his hitting average fell to .241. He picked up a home run, four runs
and six RBIs.
The outfielder will now be heading to Philadelphia to get an examination of his injury done by Dr. William Meyers. There is a concern the strain could be much worse and the possibility of sports hernia is on the board. The problem is that Hamilton will require
surgery for that kind of injury.
"He will evaluate the nature of the injury and depending on his assessment, we'll take the next step," assistant general manager Thad Levine said. "That could range from surgery to rest and R&R. After he is seen, we'll know what is the best course of action."
Nevertheless, whatever may transpire, the Rangers are optimistic on seeing the outfielder back in the line up by Spring Training. That would provide manager Ron Washington a sigh of relief.
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