Josh Hamilton Hits The DL After 11 Games

If you had Josh Hamilton in your "first Ranger to hit the disabled list" pool, please step up and collect your prize. Hamilton was injured in a collision with Tigers catcher Victor Martinez in a head first collision at home. The MRI revealed less than pleasant results for the red hot Rangers...

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said an MRI exam Tuesday afternoon on Josh Hamilton's injured right shoulder revealed a broken bone at the top of his shoulder. The Rangers plan to place Hamilton on the DL and expect him to miss at least six weeks, but are planning for eight.

The reigning AL MVP was off to a good enough start, hitting .316/.395/.395 but with nary a home run. PECOTA wasn't expecting another MVP season for Hamilton, projecting only 22 homers and a .294/.356/.509 line over 515 plate appearances. All of those numbers are now in jeopardy.

The injury is an obvious blow to the Rangers who will have to plug David Murphy into the outfield and recall Chris Davis to be the designated striker-outer. Whatever projection you prefer, replacing a .400-ish wOBA player for two months is a daunting task. Luckily for the Rangers, the other teams in the AL West have their own issues to deal with. But it would make me slightly more optimistic about the Angels chances if it wasn't for their bullpen and lineup.