Normally, news about a part-time player who hasn’t yet appeared in a game during the 2016 MLB season might not be worth a story. But when that player is a former American League MVP and five-time All-Star who once signed a five-year, $125 million contract, it’s probably worth noting when his season is over.
For Josh Hamilton, the 2016 season never really began. The outfielder has had two procedures on his left knee since Sept. 1 and wasn’t able to take part in spring training. Hamilton was on a rehab assignment with the Rangers’ Double-A affiliate in Frisco, but only appeared played four innings of a game after experiencing further discomfort in that left knee. He took a cortisone shot in the knee following the game, but there was no improvement.
As a result, the Rangers announced on Monday that Hamilton will undergo knee surgery in two weeks and will miss the rest of the 2016 season. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram‘s Jeff Wilson, it appears that the team was expecting this outcome and weren’t really counting on Hamilton making a contribution this year.
#Rangers aren't surprised by the Josh Hamilton news, nor are they worried about how injury will impact team.
— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilsonTXR) May 23, 2016
The surgery will be the seventh procedure performed on Hamilton’s left knee.
Hamilton, 35, only appeared in 50 games for Texas last season after being traded to the Rangers by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who signed him to that $125 million contract. He batted .253 with a .732 OPS in 182 plate appearances. The Rangers signed Ian Desmond during the offseason, taking a chance on the shortstop being athletic enough to play left field in place of Hamilton. So far, that experiment has worked well for Texas, with Desmond compiling a .271 average, .781 OPS, 10 doubles and six home runs in 43 games, appearing in both left and center field.
With the five-year deal he signed with Anaheim, Hamilton is under contract for next season and says he intends to play (or try to play). While he’s owed $30 million for 2017 (the same salary he has for this season), the Angels are on the hook for most of that, as part of their trade with the Rangers. Texas will pay him approximately $2 million for each of the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
