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Rangers OF Josh Hamilton Has Pinched Nerve

From Assistant GM Thad Levine comes this report on Josh Hamilton’s back:

“Josh saw the doctor today regarding his lower back and it was determined he has a pinched nerve.  He was given a ‘root nerve injection’ to reduce the inflammation. He is traveling with the club to Baltimore and athletic trainer Jamie Reed will examine him and evaluate him then. Hamilton is listed as day-to-day.”

Anti-inflammatory injections usually take about 24 to 48 hours to take effect, so it’s uncertain if Hamilton will be in the starting lineup on Friday against the Orioles or not.

Discussing Michael Young’s Hamstring with Injury Expert Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus

Will Carroll, author of Baseball Prospectus’ Under the Knife column, is considered the leading expert in the baseball media world on injuries and understanding medical treatments. Carroll, who lives in Indianapolis, authored the book Saving the Pitcher in 2004 analyzing pitching injuries and offering theories on how to suggest them. He’s a good friend of those who cover the Rangers and has been a regular (and popular) speaker at Newberg Report Night at Rangers Ballpark the last couple of year. We caught up with him Wednesday shortly after he’d finished writing an Under the Knife entry on Michael Young’s injury.

“The Rangers got the news that, as expected, Michael Young has a significant strain of his left hamstring. “Significant” usually means a Grade II and early speculation on the timeframe matches that. The best case has him back in two weeks, just in time for a big series with the Angels. The more realistic case has him out until about the end of the month. Some people caught that my ERD for Young was very optimistic yesterday, spotting him at the 12th. Since Young won’t have to go on the DL (almost no one will in September), the Rangers can play a bit faster and looser than normal. Young is undergoing the fashionable treatment, platelet rich plasma injections, to try and heal up. I think in about ten days, Young will have made enough progress that he’ll push himself into a discussion with the Rangers brass about playing. I’m not sure if it will be a full start or some lesser role, pinch hitting perhaps, but I think we’ll end up seeing Young more quickly than most. The downside here is the recurrence risk, but the Rangers are going to have trouble keeping Young on the bench.”

Follow the jump for more from Carroll on the Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) and the Michael Young case.

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Rangers Josh Hamilton ‘Confident’ Back Injury Will Not Force Him to Miss any Upcoming Games

ARLINGTON – For the second straight day, a key member of the Rangers lineup left the field early due to injury. OF Josh Hamilton, however, said he does not expect to miss any more upcoming games over back stiffness that has bothered him since a weekend of playing on artificial turf in Minnesota.

Hamilton left Wednesday’s game after doubling in the fourth inning. He slid headfirst into second on the double and then took a minute to kneel before getting up slowly. He remained in the game and scored the Rangers second run of a 6-4 win over Toronto. He did not return for the fifth inning and was replaced by Marlon Byrd in center field.

Afterward Hamilton said he didn’t do anything specific during the weekend on Minnesota’s artificial turf, but that the back started to stiffen up by the end of the weekend. The three games in Minnesota made six games on turf for the Rangers in a 10-day span. Hamilton said he will get treatment on the back Thursday before the Rangers leave for Baltimore to begin a six-game road trip. He said he is “confident” that he won’t need to miss any additional time. He’s already spent two stints on the DL this season for a sore oblique muscle and later for sports hernia surgery.

“We all need to go out there when we are less than 100 percent,” Hamilton said after the game. “You work through it.”

Rangers 3B Michael Young Hopes to Return from Injury Against Angels on September 18

ARLINGTON - Texas Rangers 3B Michael Young was told Wednesday afternoon that the hamstring strain he suffered on Tuesday night was slightly more than a Level 1 strain. He was then shown a needle the length of a ballpoint pen and given a rather painful injection.

All of this he welcomed as good news, bordering on great, because it means he still has a chance to impact the playoff race.

“On the way home last night, I was certain my season was over,” Young said. “When [team orthopedist Dr. Keith Meister] looked at me and kind of smiled after reading the MRI, I treated it as very good news. I could get upset about missing some time or I could visualize the impact I could have on the last two weeks of the season. As down as I was about it last night, what I was told today was very uplifting. It’s only going to give me more energy about being aggressive with my rehab.”

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Michael Young Diagnosis: Likely Out 2-3 Weeks

An MRI exam Wednesday confirmed a significant strain of 3B Michael Young’s left  hamstring. GM Jon Daniels, in an email, said that Young will likely be out “a couple of weeks,” though exactly how long is uncertain.

Young is receiving an injection of blood platelets to accelerate the healing process.  Here is an on-line discussion about the rather new therapy (Mark Teixeira had it for his hip injury in 2007).

Texas Rangers Third Baseman Michael Young on Hamstring Injury: “Obviously, this is Pretty Tough”

ARLINGTON - The Rangers swept a doubleheader from Toronto on Tuesday, insuring they’d gain at least a smidgeon of ground in the playoff races, but the clubhouse still felt like it the team had just encountered another one of those gut-check moments.

Or maybe that was just a slightly sickening feeling at the thought of jumping into the heart of the pennant race without 3B Michael Young.

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Marlon Byrd Battling Kidney Stones

OF Marlon Byrd is not in the Rangers’ starting lineup tonight. He is battling an attack of kidney stones. Byrd is currently at a Manhattan hospital. His status for the night and tomorrow’s day game remains uncertain. It’s possible the stone could pass and Byrd could be ready to go before game time tonight.

Rangers Place Andruw Jones on D.L.

According to a text from Evan, Andruw Jones has been placed on the disabled list with a hamstring strain.

Kinsler Update and Other Texas Rangers Notes

ARLINGTON - Ian Kinsler said Sunday morning that he feels no ill effects from being hit in the eighth inning on Saturday night and, after a post-game chat with Boston catcher Jason Varitek, has no ill will toward the Red Sox.

In Monday night’s game against Minnesota lefty Francisco Liriano, Rangers manager Ron Washington plans to sit left-handed hitting Julio Borbon, return Kinsler to the top of the order and start recent call-up Kevin Richardson to give Taylor Teagarden a night off.

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DL for Rangers Jarrod Saltalamacchia?

ARLINGTON – The second incidence of arm-related troubles in two weeks for C Jarrod Saltalamacchia is likely to land him on the disabled list.

But the Rangers still don’t have any answers for what caused something described as “arm fatigue” last week and numbness in his right hand on Friday. Saltalamacchia left Friday’s 8-4 loss to Boston after complaining of numbness. He had trouble throwing the ball back to pitcher Kevin Millwood on several occasions early in the game. He’s had problems with that seemingly simple task at different times over the last six weeks.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” Saltalamacchia said after the game. “I don’t want to hurt the team, but I want to play and help.”

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Ian Kinsler Plays Seven For Frisco

In his first game of what should be a two-day rehab assignment, 2B Ian Kinsler played seven innings for Double-A Frisco in a 10-9 loss to Tulsa. He was 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. He was replaced by Renny Osuna, but not due to injury. According to an email from GM Jon Daniels, there were no health issues.

He is expected to play again on Thursday and would likely be activated for Friday’s game when the Rangers return home to Arlington.

Texas Rangers Notes

ARLINGTON – RHP Frank Francisco could be activated from the DL as soon as Monday, but he won’t immediately return as the team’s closer and it’s unclear if he will regain that role this season.

Francisco, who has missed the last three weeks with the flu and walking pnuemonia, pitched an inning of relief for Double-A Frisco Friday night. He is expected to throw another bullpen session for the Rangers Sunday and travel with the team to Oakland. If all goes well then, he could rejoin the bullpen quickly. When he does return, manager Ron Washington said it will not be in the closer’s role, at least not the start. The Rangers took a similar approach with Francisco following his most recent stay on the DL. He spent a week in a setup role, then moved back to the ninth inning.

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Rangers Push Kevin Millwood Back Again, Scott Feldman To Start Against Seattle Sunday

Kevin Millwood’s sore gluteus maximus problem has been, well, a real pain in the butt.

It forced him out of last Sunday’s start after just two innings and pushed his next scheduled start to tomorrow. Millwood, however, was still feeling the soreness late in the week and hasn’t thrown a bullpen session. Because of it, he’s being pushed back even further. Millwood is now tentatively scheduled to start Monday in Oakland. RHP Scott Feldman will take his place Sunday, pitching on three days of rest as a starter for the first time in his career.

Vicente Padilla Scratched Again

RHP Vicente Padilla is healthy but “still somewhat weak” from battling the flu, according to Rangers PR department. RHP Doug Mathis has been summoned to replace him for tonight’s start.

This Bulletin Is Not Brought To You By The CDC: Texas Rangers Flu Count Currently At Five

ARLINGTON – A few notes about the flu bug currently ravaging the Rangers clubhouse. This should not be taken lightly.

• The Rangers are dealing with an influenza outbreak, not just flu-like symptoms, GM Jon Daniels confirmed. At least three players have tested positive for the flu, but it will take time to detect the specific strain. And the treatment is the same regardless of strain. So, even if the Rangers are dealing with Swine Flu, the medical treatment would remain the same.

• There are now five players dealing with either the flu or symptoms of it. RHP Frank Francisco was placed on the DL Monday with the flu/walking pnuemonia. LHP Eddie Guardado, INF Omar Vizquel and RHP Vicente Padilla all have the flu. Guardado and Padilla were told to stay away from Rangers Ballpark on Wednesday. OF David Murphy has some of the symptoms, but no fever. The Rangers had planned to play him in left field, but instead will DH him tonight.

• The club has put off its departure for this weekend’s series at Kansas City until Friday morning. The Rangers had been scheduled to leave on Thursday afternoon, but after consulting with medical personnel, Daniels wants to give the players a full day away from one another (Thursday is an off day) and allow the ill players to stay in bed for a full day.

• The Rangers were considering pulling an Oklahoma City player off a plane that was to make a stopover in Dallas on its way back from New Orleans and adding him to the roster. Guardado would likely go on the DL in that scenario. With OF Nelson Cruz about to play for the first time with a slight fracture in his right ring finger and Murphy potentially dealing with the onset of the flu, the most likely callup might be OF Julio Borbon. INF Joaquin Arias is also a consideration.