The Texas Rangers were handed a major setback as outfielder Josh Hamilton was once again placed on the disabled list due to a groin injury that has come back to haunt his playing time, time and again. Dr. John Preskitt will put Hamilton under the scanner as he undergoes an MRI to determine the extent of damage. 
Hamilton had first contracted the injury against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a home game on the 17th of May when a leaping catch saw him crash into the padded outfield wall. The injury, at the time, was considered a minor pull on the groin muscle and despite being in some discomfort, the All-Star remained in the roster and in the starting lineup as well.
The injury recurred on a slide during the last of the seven consecutive home games on Sunday. The injury will mean that Hamilton will get a day off to get tested and he does like the thought of it. “It’s a great idea,” said Hamilton. “If I can’t run, I can’t play. We’ll see what the doctor says.”
According to his manager, Hamilton has been quite limited in his performance this season. However, he certainly believes that missing the Sunday start and getting Monday off will help him recharge his batteries. “When you’re battling injuries, sometimes you can’t drive [the ball] the way you want to drive it,” Ron Washington said.
Hamilton’s replacement will be Marlon Byrd, who had a wonderful 2008 with a .304 batting average while hitting 130 RBIs and 32 home runs. That is considerably better than what Hamilton has done so far, hitting at just .240 with 6 home runs and 24 RBIs.
This isn’t Hamilton’s first crash with the outfield wall that has seen him get injured. Earlier this season, Hamilton was out for 13 games after a crash into the outfield wall in Toronto led to a rib injury.