Fresh off the disaster that was Don Baylor’s freak injury catching the first pitch on opening day, the Angels have lost one of their three major power hitters for 6-to-8 weeks. According to the Los Angeles Times, outfielder Josh Hamilton tore ligaments in his left thumb in a head-first slide back to first base Wednesday afternoon.
The full extent of Hamilton’s injury can be seen below…
#Angels LF Josh Hamilton suffered complete tear of ulnar collateral ligament in L thumb along with torn capsule. Out 6-8 weeks.
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) April 9, 2014
Hamilton, who signed a five-year, $125 million contract with the Angels prior to last season, was hitting .444 with two homers and a league high seven runs scored heading into Wednesday. He was coming off a 2013 campaign that saw him put up his worst statistical season of what has been a stellar career.
Who knows how this is going to impact Hamilton moving forward in 2014. We know full well what happens to players who suffer similar injuries early in the season. It’s not like the thumb is a minor part of actually hitting a baseball.
Photo: Andrew Richardson, USA Today