It didn't take Josh Hamilton very long to get back into the swing of things.
After being on the shelf since his inadvertent head-first slide broke his arm on April 12, as the Rangers were sporting a MLB-best 9-1 record, Hamilton returned to the lineup on Monday night.
In his first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning, Hamilton sent a shot over the right field wall to give Texas an early 1-0 lead as the crowd reached a fever pitch.
Turns out, that's all the Rangers needed in that game as Alexi Ogando pitched a five-hit shutout for a 4-0 win over the White Sox.
Now, the Rangers are 10-1 with Hamilton in the lineup. His prescence in the lineup does so much for the team, mentally and as far as results go. It allows the Rangers to put the lineup together where guys are supposed to be, with maybe a couple of possible exceptions (Ian Kinsler in leadoff, cough, cough).
This homestand is a perfect opportunity for the fully healthy Rangers to get a little breathing room in the AL West with two more against the White Sox and three against the Royals.
With Hamilton back in the lineup, can the Rangers get to 15-1 with Hamilton? If so, look out, all of baseball.
