Rangers Don't Believe Hamilton's Heel Injury Is Serious

The Texas Rangers don’t believe Josh Hamilton’s bruised heel, suffered in the second inning of Wednesday’s 6-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies, will be a serious concern--but they’re prepared to be cautious with the injury-prone lefty if there’s any indication that the injury could linger.

Hamilton jammed his right heel while chasing after a double off the bat of Todd Helton. He remained in the game for the rest of the inning, though reportedly moving with a limp, before leaving. The former American League MVP will be reevaluated on Thursday, after which the team will decide how to proceed.

"We'll see how he feels [Thursday,] and if it was just something he felt once and nothing more, he'll be back out there," Rangers’ manager Ron Washington said, per the Dallas Morning News. "If we want to be cautious, we'll give him some more time."

Though the Rangers’ believe Hamilton is their best option at centerfield when healthy, he will mostly play in left in order to reduce the wear on Hamilton’s body. Given Julio Borbon’s performance this spring, and the recent wrist injury to Craig Gentry that will keep him out for the next 3-5 days, Borbon will in all likelihood win the starting job in center.