Josh Hamilton is back with the Rangers and things could get really interesting
The start-and-stop, up-and-down season of Josh Hamilton starts up again Tuesday night, as he’s been activated by the Texas Rangers and will start in left field against the Baltimore Orioles.
Hamilton, 34, was on the disabled list for a month with an injured hamstring, but that hasn’t been the biggest issue surrounding the former MVP this season. He admitted a drug relapse to MLB, which resulted in a high-profile non-suspension. The Los Angeles Angels, though, weren’t happy about this and shipped Hamilton back to the Texas Rangers.
[On this week’s StewPod: Looking back at a fun week in baseball with Jeff Passan]
He looked decent in his return to action in Arlington, but played just seven games before the hamstring issue sidelined him. In the spring, Hamilton underwent shoulder surgery. See what we mean by the start-and-stop thing?
The question now becomes what Hamilton can add to the Rangers, a fascinating fixer-upper of a team that’s surpassed all expectations this season. To add Hamilton back to the big-league roster, the Rangers sent prospect Joey Gallo down to Triple-A. He impressed with his power, but his strikeouts (43 in 87 at-bats) and low batting average (.218) proved he could still use some more seasoning.
Hamilton, meanwhile, is a different kind of question mark. He hit .273/.385/.636 in those seven games, which is a very, very small sample, but Hamilton did knock two homers to go with five RBIs. He looked better than most people anticipated, given his performance last season and all the drama that followed.
The Rangers are a team that can use a boost. They’re a surprising 39-38, which puts them in third place in the AL West, ahead of the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics. Texas is five games behind the first-place Houston Astros and two games out of the wild card if the playoffs started today. That’s not too shabby.
With Prince Fielder back playing like an All-Star, a productive Hamilton could mean they’re relevant past the All-Star break. Even if they don’t make or challenge for the playoffs, playing meaningful baseball in August would be a win for a team that most people penciled into the cellar.
For Hamilton, there’s also a chance at redemption here. While the Rangers have been a fun story, expectations aren’t that high in Arlington this year. He needn’t carry them into the playoffs or play like an MVP to glean a little bit of success from this season.
If Hamilton can be productive and help the Rangers win, those two things alone will have proven a lot of people wrong.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – – –
Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
