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Hamilton likely to undergo more surgery on left knee

Peter Llewellyn / Reuters

Josh Hamilton's comeback has hit a snag.

The Texas Rangers slugger, who underwent knee surgery last June that ruled him out for the entire 2016 season, may need another procedure on his left knee, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.

Hamilton is on his way to Houston for an exam, and is expected to have his knee scoped Monday, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

At 35 years old, recurring knee injuries aren't exactly a good sign for Hamilton's future with the Rangers, though assistant general manager Mike Daly doesn't feel the former MVP is considering retirement yet.

"I don't think anybody wants to take it to that extreme," Daly told Sullivan. "Josh has stated that he wants to play. That's why he is in camp.

"He wants to play and we want him to play. We'll see what happens after Dr. Lowe looks at him."

Tests on Hamilton's knee earlier this spring failed to find any structural damage, and the slugger was optimistic about his chances of getting swings in again by Monday, now the likely date of another arthroscopic surgery.

"My confidence hasn't wavered at all," Hamilton said Thursday. "As far as not falling further behind in the process, if I'm in the cage and swinging by Monday, I think I can be on the field talking live batting practice too."

A nine-year veteran, Hamilton has missed significant time in each of the past two seasons due to a variety of injuries.

In 2015, he opened the season on the disabled list as he recovered from offseason shoulder surgery, but only appeared in 50 games that season due to hamstring issues and, later, inflammation in his left knee.

Earlier this week, he had a platelet-rich plasma injection to alleviate pain in his troublesome knee, though Daly said the shot "wasn't getting the response he was hoping for," according to Tim Ciesco of NBC5.

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