Rangers' Hamilton may only pinch hit rest of season

Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton, who was activated from the disabled list Tuesday, is unlikely to play the outfield for the remainder of the season because of persistent pain in his surgically repaired knee, general manager Jon Daniels said Monday.

Hamilton's been sidelined since Aug. 15 with knee soreness and says he still experiences pain when he runs. Limited to just 38 games this year due to recurring leg injuries, Daniels indicated Hamilton could be relegated to pinch-hit duties for the rest of the season.

"That's where my head is at," Daniels told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. "With the number of outfield options we have and with the number of runners we can have, we can run for him and then play somebody in the outfield. We will take whatever he can contribute."

The injury-prone outfielder has performed to mixed results in his second go-around with the Rangers, batting .254/.296/.430 with six homers and seven doubles across 152 plate appearances.

Daniels added that it's possible Hamilton will require offseason surgery to clean up cartilage around the knee.