Josh Hamilton Injury Update: Outfielder To Sit Out Weekends Games, Expects To Be Ready For Opening Day

Texas Rangers All-Star outfielder Josh Hamilton is going to sit out the last two games in Arizona on Saturday and Sunday due to a tight left groin muscle. Hamilton injured the groin in Friday's game against the Colorado Rockies when he hit a double in the fifth inning:

"When I hit that double (in the fifth inning), I felt it grab," Hamilton said. "The next at-bat I hit the ball back to the pitcher and felt it grab a little more. Then I was chasing a pop fly in the seventh and felt it grab a little more.

"Since it's Spring Training, I decided to leave the game. If this were the regular season, I wouldn't have left the game. I came in today, got some treatment and felt a knot in there. It was a muscle spasm, we rubbed it out and it feels better."

Hamilton said that the injury had nothing to do with him playing centerfield and that he is sitting out the next two games just to be safe.

Hamilton fully expects to be in the starting lineup for opening day this Friday against the Chicago White Sox.

Josh Hamilton Injury: Groin May Keep Rangers Star Out A Few Days

Texas Rangers star center fielder Josh Hamilton left Friday's game with tightness in his left groin versus the Colorado Rockies. Hamilton had made four consecutive starts in center field for Ron Washington's Rangers, but as has been the case for Hamilton's injury-plagued career the team will be cautious and keep him out for the next few days.

Hamilton's issues with the groin isn't a new one, as he's had two serious groin injuries that turned into sports hernias, thus requiring surgery. The strained left side of his groin caused Hamilton to go down during the 2011 postseason, but played through it in the World Series. Hamilton also had surgery on the right side in 2009 after crashing into a wall in a regular season game.

The Rangers will begin their season on Friday, April 6 versus the Chicago White Sox. Hamilton will probably sit until the final preseason game just to be sure to be fit for opening day.

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