Any hopes that Texas Rangers fans might have had for a Josh Hamilton career revival are on hold. Per TR Sullivan of MLB.com, Hamilton had surgery and will be out a while.
Josh Hamilton had surgery…..on left knee… repair torn cartilage….. He has 6 weeks of rehab before he can start running
— TR Sullivan (@Sullivan_Ranger) February 27, 2017
In other words… Josh is going to be out awhile…well into the season… although no talk yet about him hanging it up
— TR Sullivan (@Sullivan_Ranger) February 27, 2017
None of this is surprising. Hamilton left Rangers camp last week after feeling pain in that knee, which you can read about here.
There may not be talk of Hamilton retiring, but the thought can’t be far from anyone’s mind.
With someone like Hamilton, longevity is going to be difficult. The first question we have to ask is, how much damage has his substance abuse done to his body? But even if we overlook that, it’s hard to see Hamilton playing much longer.
He will be 36 in May. He missed all of the 2016 season and played in only 139 combined games over the two previous years.
He’s only topped the 150-game plateau twice (2008, 2013) and the 140-game mark only once more (2012). Players with that kind of injury history rarely play into their late 30’s. Hamilton may have one more run left in him. But it’s hard to imagine his career continuing after any more setbacks.