Texas Rangers OF Josh Hamilton hits DL

May 1, 2009 @ 01:00:00

By Keith Hernandez
Edited by Nicholas Minnix

Anthony Andro, of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, reports the Texas Rangers placed outfielder Josh Hamilton (rib cage) on the 15-day disabled list Friday, May 1, with a strained muscle in his rib cage. The move is retroactive to April 27.

In a corresponding move, the team recalled catcher Max Ramirez from Triple-A Oklahoma.

Hamilton initially injured himself when he crashed into the outfield wall April 21 against the Toronto Blue Jays. He has not played since a pinch-hit appearance Sunday, April 26.

The team was hoping to avoid putting Hamilton on the DL despite the fact that he said he was unlikely to play until next week. He is off to a rather slow start compared with his breakout performance of a season ago. He is batting .242 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 66 at-bats.

The positive news with the Hamilton situation is that he had been feeling better in recent days after taking medication and receiving treatment. It appears as though the team will have their left-handed slugger back sooner rather than later. Look to stash him in one of your DL or bench spots.

Outfielder Marlon Byrd, who was already filling in at center field with Hamilton hurt, should continue to receive the majority of starts. Hamilton's DL trip could also give outfielder Andruw Jones a chance for more playing time.

Byrd (.333-2-13 in 66 at-bats) is a solid pickup for the short term with Hamilton ailing. He's known for going on short hot streaks when given opportunity. Jones (.344-3-6 in 32 at-bats) could be considered in deep mixed leagues and AL-only formats, but don't expect him to play as often as Byrd.

Ramirez is one of the club's top hitting prospects, but he has remained at the Triple-A level because of his poor defense and the organization's depth at backstop. Now that he's up, he may receive some at-bats at designated hitter. If so, he's an intriguing AL option.

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Keith Hernandez

Keith, an editor with KFFL, joined the team as a Hot off the Wire analyst in 2008 and has been playing fantasy sports since 2005. He is involved in MLB, NFL and NASCAR content. He graduated from the University of California-San Diego in 2005 with a B.A. in Communications and was a four-year starter as a member of the baseball program.

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