Beltre, Hamilton Likely Out For Series

Josh Hamilton said after Sunday night's game that his back wasn't serious and he planned to play on Monday when the Texas Rangers opened a series in Toronto.

Turns out, he was held out of the lineup for seemingly one more day because of the horrid conditions of the playing surface in Toronto's Rogers Centre, which might be the worst in the league โ€” basically just concrete with some carpet over it. Not real good for the back, or any muscles or joints, for that matter.

Adrian Beltre proved that on Monday when, in the ninth inning, he hit a single and was running very gingerly on his always-problematic hamstrings. He exited the game for a pinch-runner.

Now, with two games left in Toronto โ€” tonight, and Wednesday afternoon โ€” before departing for the lovely natural grass in Cleveland, don't be shocked if the Rangers play it incredibly safe with two of their most important hitters.

Both Hamilton and Beltre missed a month last season due to injuries, and the Rangers are not going to be testing them this early in the season, especially when they have a nine-game lead over their fiercest rivals in the AL West.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us