Josh Hamilton's Absence Not Necessarily To Blame for Texas Rangers' Struggles

There is one universal truth regarding the Texas Rangers' struggles of late according to fans, analysts and even players: the absence of Josh Hamilton in the lineup.

Since his head-first slide into home plate April 12 in Detroit left Hamilton with a fractured arm, the Rangers have struggled offensively, defensively and on the mound. So, with the reigning American League MVP (batting .333 prior to his injury) still on the DL, the team has won only nine of its last 25 games. Prior to his ill-advised slide, the Rangers were 9-2.

However it wasn't that long ago, late last summer and shortly before their very first World Series run, the Rangers suffered another Josh Hamilton injury. Even without their star slugger, the Rangers played extremely well thanks to a brilliant fill-in performance by David Murphy, superb pitching and an electric enthusiasm that you could feel for miles around.

The Rangers proved they could play, and play at a high level without him. So what makes this season so different? Is his injury really felt that much by the players?

There's no question Texas has fallen into a slump, losing six of its last eight games. After leading the West all season, the Rangers are now trailing the Angels by two games after the Yankees took two of three over the weekend in Arlington, including a 12-5 drubbing Sunday afternoon.

Manager Ron Washington, speaking with a very determined tone after Friday's loss, is still confident his team is able to right the ship. "You hit spells like this in the game of baseball," he said. "The only thing you can do is continue to battle and come out of it. And we will come out of it." 

If nothing else, having Hamilton back in the lineup would certainly be a psychological boost to a team truly struggling at the plate.

For instance, Mike Napoli, who was red hot in March and April, is batting .077 since late April. Second baseman Ian Kinsler is batting just .209. Nelson Cruz, prior to his quad injury, was just slightly better at .219. A slumping Adrian Beltre, who's batting a paltry .161 over the last eight games, is admittedly looking for Josh's return. "We're just going through some struggles," Beltre said postgame Friday. "It happens. We're missing one of the best hitters in the game." 

But the problems go beyond hitting and eerily coincides with Hamilton's injury.

- Rangers pitching has been roughed up since the second week of April going just 12-17 with a team ERA of 4.30. Only Minnesota and Baltimore have a higher team ERA. This despite some outstanding performances by C.J. Wilson and Alexi Ogando.

- In the last 29 games, Texas has the most errors (27) and the worst fielding percentage (.975) in the Majors. That's almost unheard of since the arrival of Washington, who many in the game agree, is nothing short of a fielding and defensive guru. Given his rich history of having faith in his players and letting them work their problems out on the field, it's doubtful Wash will allow this to continue unchecked much longer.

- Injuries have plagued the Rangers in 2011. In addition to Hamilton, the loss of Nellie Cruz (quad), Neftali Feliz (who was reactivated this past weekend), Tommy Hunter, Darren O'Day, Ogando (blister) and Mason Tobin is obviously taking its toll.

- There's no question these Rangers are playing hard. But they also appear to be missing their usual "kid-like" enthusiasm on the field. After all, those toothy grins, chest bumps and "Top Gun high-five/low-fives" we've become accustomed to after a good play or performance is contagious and have been a good visual indicator the players are relaxed and having fun out there.

Any team in the Majors today would struggle with the deck stacked against them like the Rangers have had to deal with. But with a gaggle of injuries, some uncharacteristically poor play on the field and struggles on the mound, Texas is going to have to turn it around sooner or later if they expect to compete for the AL West.

Given their current state of affairs, Hamilton's return may be a necessary one for more than just his bat and defensive prowess because, clearly, his lack of presence in the lineup may be affecting this team more than some of us think.