The Los Angeles Angels will have to face the Cleveland Indians in a makeup game this afternoon without their All-Star outfielder. Josh Hamilton’s ailing right shoulder will keep the slugger out of the starting lineup at least another day. Collin Cowgill replaced Hamilton in left field.
This will be Hamilton’s fourth straight day on the bench. However, there are signs that the slugger is feeling better. He took batting practice on Sunday and was originally scheduled to play, however, he was scratched with shoulder stiffness an hour before the game.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Hamilton, “He feels much better today and hopefully that will continue tomorrow. He’s still day to day, and we’ll see where he is tomorrow.”
The outfielder did receive a cortisone shot to help with the injury. However, the Angles are not going to rush Hamilton back into the lineup. The Halos currently sit atop the American League West with a comfortable seven game lead with only 20 games left to play. They are also 8-2 over their last ten games and have won four in a row.
The injury-prone slugger is currently hitting .263 with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs. He has played in only 88 games this season. Hamilton was on the disabled list from April 9 to June 3 with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb.
The Angels will head to Arlington next to face the Texas Rangers in a three-game series. The Rangers are having an abysmal season with a 54-89 record. The team announced on Friday that long-time manager Ron Washington, who took Texas to two World Series, was resigning for personal reasons.
