Angels
Cleanup hitter Josh Hamilton missed most of the series against the Twins as well as Monday’s makeup game at Cleveland because of inflammation of the AC joint in his right shoulder. Hamilton got several trigger-point injections Sunday but was a late scratch after stiffening up at batting practice. A five-time AL All-Star, Hamilton is batting .263 with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs in 88 games. He was on the disabled list from April 9 to June 3 with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb.
Astros
Interim manager Tom Lawless admitted he was a nervous wreck in the dugout in his first week as a big league manager, and a series of close games certainly contributed to that. In winning two of three at Oakland , all three games were decided by one run.
“I’m not a yeller, I’m not a screamer,” Lawless said. “I’m a nervous wreck in the dugout in the seventh inning, but I try not to show much emotion. When you show emotion one way or another, these kids, they know. They’re professionals and they see what’s going on. You try to make the atmosphere as comfortable as it can for them so they can go out and play the game.”
Athletics
Although Eric O’Flaherty blew the save in Oakland’s 5-4 walk-off loss in Monday night’s series opener, his return from a lower back strain, coupled with Sean Doolittle’s expected return from a strained right intercostal later in the week, is good news for the A’s. They could use the help, considering that the starting staff boasts a 4.46 ERA since July 28. Meanwhile, Oakland’s bullpen ranks third in the majors with a 2.84 ERA.
Mariners
Left fielder Dustin Ackley was out of the lineup Monday and scheduled to have an MRI on his sore left ankle. Ackley had surgery to remove bone spurs in his left foot shortly after the 2012 season. This doesn’t sound as serious.
“We won’t know for sure until they get in and see,” Ackley said. “It doesn’t seem like it’s anything crazy other than maybe just a little inflammation or something like that.”
Ackley hasn’t played since being taken out of Saturday’s game against the Rangers. He made a sliding catch that night that might have exacerbated the soreness. In 2014, he’s posted a .251 batting average with 11 home runs and 60 RBIs in 130 games.
Rangers
Interim manager Tim Bogar was the “quality assurance coach” with the Rays in 2008, crunching information and data on opposing hitters so Tampa Bay could implement the drastic defensive shifts that have become the rage in baseball. But Bogar said he appreciated predecessor Ron Washington’s approach to the game.
“What Ron trusted was his eye and his 44 years of experience,” Bogar said. “He wasn’t against numbers. He used him. But he wasn’t going to let them overrule what his eyes tell him. A good manager does that.”
Compiled by Rachel Lister from wire reports.
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