Hamilton Shines in Return from DL

Remember when the Texas Rangers acquired Josh Hamilton for pennies on the dollar back at the end of April, and how we all just said, "Hey, if they can get anything at all from him, it'll be a bonus."

Well, after watching Hamilton for seven games last month, it appeared he might have a whole lot more to offer than simply "anything."

Then, the inevitable happened when the fragile slugger injured his hamstring and was on the shelf for a month, and just when he was starting to show something at the plate.

Hamilton returned to the Rangers lineup on Tuesday in Baltimore, and he picked up right where he left off despite admitting to not yet being 100 percent. The former AL MVP finished the game with two hits, including a single in his first at-bat of the night after fighting off a couple of tough pitches with a two-strike count.

He also made a sliding catch in left field and scored a run in the Rangers' 8-6 win over the Orioles — their second straight over first-place Baltimore to start the four-game series.

Maybe there's something to the fact Hamilton just wasn't comfortable in Los Angeles and needed the stable environment he thrived in with the Rangers from 2008-2012 before he left for a huge contract that ended up being laughable for the Angels. If that's the truth, the Angels' loss will truly be the Rangers' gain.

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