The beginning stages of spring training led to a rather ominous development for the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, as star outfielder Josh Hamilton suffered a strained left calf during baserunning drills.
MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reported news of the injury and noted that Hamilton was on crutches:
Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times provided a bit more specificity of the potential timeline regarding Hamilton’s recovery and evaluation, along with a brief quote from the 32-year-old veteran:
The Los Angeles Times’ Mike DiGiovanna weighed in on the early adversity, which also included pitcher C.J. Wilson being hit in the head by a line drive:
Hamilton is a five-time All-Star and former American League MVP, but he had a disappointing 2013 campaign in his first action with the Angels, hitting a career-low .250. He managed just 21 home runs in 576 at-bats, compared to 43 the previous year with the Texas Rangers despite seeing 14 fewer at-bats.
Although this is considered a minor setback, perhaps a revisiting of the basic fundamentals preached in spring training could help Hamilton as he prepares to bounce back from a lackluster season. The minor ailment shouldn’t cause him to miss any regular-season games, either.
With the star power the Angels have in Hamilton, young phenom Mike Trout and Albert Pujols among others, the hope is to capitalize more on it after going just 78-84 last year. Doing so depends on Hamilton picking up the slack at the plate, along with his recently underachieving teammates and Pujols in particular.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com