HamiltonStrainThose tuning into the postseason expecting to see a power display from Josh Hamilton have been disappointed so far.
Through nine games and 39 plate appearances, the Texas Rangers slugger — who connected for 25 homers in 121 games during the regular season — has yet to go yard in the first two rounds against Tampa Bay Rays and Detroit Tigers pitching. If you look back even further, you'll find that Hamilton has hit only two home runs since Sept. 18.
That's a fairly significant power outage for a hitter of Hamilton's caliber. One that probably comes with some sort of underlying circumstance.
As we learned on Thursday, there indeed is a good explanation for his extended power slump. According to Hamilton, he's been playing through a painful left groin strain for about the last month, which is sapping his strength at the plate.
As Hamilton explained it, he's able to play through the discomfort, but since the strain is to his back leg, it has limited the most important part of his game.
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