The good week the Texas Rangers had with Josh Hamilton in the lineup is going to have to last in people's memories for a while.
Hamilton is headed to the disabled list Thursday with a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring and he's expected to miss four weeks.
Hamilton hurt the hamstring Sunday running after delivering a game-winning pinch-hit double in the bottom of the ninth inning.
"It sucks," Hamilton said. "It's frustrating. Even though I didn't start the season, I got traded, I worked my butt off to get here, the guys were playing good when I got here and I was able to start having some fun with them. It is frustrating, that's the best way I can put it. But you know what, there's nothing I can do about it. All I can do is try and get better as quick as I possibly can."
Hamilton said he was bothered by a sore groin during his rehab time in Triple-A Round Rock and Double-A Frisco. He had also been wrapping his hamstring as a precaution. He didn't do that in the game last Saturday because it was feeling better. He didn't do it either Sunday because he didn't start the game.
"I promise you I thought, 'I probably need to wrap it,'" Hamilton said. "Then I thought 'Aw, nah I'll be all right.' I hit the ball and went around first and feel it grab and then four steps later I felt it again. That was it."
The Rangers have options in left with Hamilton down. Jake Smolinski, who has struggled at the plate, started in left Wednesday. Delino DeShields, the reigning American League rookie of the month, has made 13 starts in left too. Ryan Rua, the Opening Day left fielder, is on a rehab assignment. And then there's Joey Gallo. While Gallo is here to play third base he also made six starts for Double-A Frisco this year.
Texas manager Jeff Banister said it's too soon to figure out what the Rangers will do.
"I feel bad for Josh," Banister said. "We had a lineup before he got here so we'll go ahead and continue to use the lineup before he got here."
In six games with the Rangers Hamilton batted .273 with two home runs and five RBI.
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