Rainy Day Rangers Injury News

ARLINGTON - OF Josh Hamilton jangled his limbs freely in the clubhouse Saturday afternoon, then confirmed what seemed evident: the most recent anti-inflammatory injection he received hit the spot.

“It’s night and day,” said Hamilton, who has received three injections of anti-inflammatory medication in an attempt to relieve stiffness associated with a bulging disk that has pinched a nerve. “I had been doing all of my core stabilization work to keep my back strong since I had my back problems years ago, but when I had the abdominal surgery, it weakened my abs and my back ended up with more burden.”

3B Michael Young also reported improvement in his recovery from a significant hamstring injury. More on both players after the jump.

Los Angeles-based back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins injected Hamilton in the site of an old stress fracture in his back, suffered in a car accident in 2001. Hamilton said that injection provided significant, almost immediate relief.

On Friday, Rangers GM Jon Daniels said Hamilton, who has been limited to 87 games this season by other injuries to his oblique muscle and abdominal wall, was unlikely to return before the Rangers begin a series with the Los Angeles Angels on Sept. 18.  Hamilton declined to place a target date on his return.

“Somewhere around there sounds good,” Hamilton said. “It’s important to just win as many games as possible right now. It doesn’t matter who they are against or who is in the lineup. Based on what I’m hearing from [hitting instructor] Rudy Jaramillo and [managaer Ron Washington], it sounds like it’s going to be hard to crack the lineup anyway. Guys are swinging the bat well right now.”

Young update: Maybe the only guy in the clubhouse not upset about the lousy weather forecast that forced postponement of Friday’s game and could push at least one of the Seattle games to the final week of the season is 3B Michael Young.

Young continues to make progress from a severe left hamstring strain, but also isn’t expected to return before Friday’s series opener against Los Angeles. Young has hit in the batting cage each of the last two days and ran at his hardest level Friday since suffering the hamstring injury on Sept. 1. He had no residual problems from the running or swining.

“It’s the first time I’ve turned it up from anything past a light jog and it felt good,” Young said. “I’m taking it day-to-day, but these rainouts aren’t making me heartbroken in the least. Me and Mother Nature are on the same page right now. If it means we have to play in Seattle and it’s more games that I can get in, we’ll strap it on and go play up there.”