Josh Hamilton

Josh Hamilton returned to the Rangers lineup Friday.

As expected. Hamilton was given a routine day off Thursday. The impending free agent slugger is hitting .404/.458/.838 batting line, 18 home runs and 45 RBI in 35 games played this season

Josh Hamilton is not in Thursday’s lineup.

It’s just a routine day off for Hamilton, who is the owner of a .404/.458/.838 batting line, 18 home runs and 45 RBI in 35 games played this season. The impending free agent slugger should be back in action on Friday night.

Josh Hamilton clubbed his 18th home run in a loss to the Angels on Saturday.

Absolutely ridiculous. Hamilton now has eight homers in his last five games and nine in his last six. He’s just the second player to collect 18 homers in his team’s first 34 games, joining Cy Williams of the 1923 Phillies. Hamilton struck out in his other three at-bats Saturday, lowering his batting average from .407 to .402. He’s clearly slacking. Selling high should be an obvious consideration for fantasy owners given his injury history, but it would have to be a pretty hefty haul at this rate.

Josh Hamilton continued his insanely hot-hitting, blasting his 16th and 17th home runs of the season on Friday, leading the Rangers to a 10-3 victory over the visiting Angels.

He’s absolutely locked in and looks like the best hitter in baseball at the moment. Hamilton finished the night 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a pair of RBI. He raised his average to .407, and now has 17 homers and an unthinkable 40 RBI in the team’s first 43 games. He’s surely the early favorite for AL MVP honors, and could conceivably compete for the Triple Crown.

Josh Hamilton continued his other-worldly hitting, blasting another two-run homer in the Rangers 7-3 victory over the Orioles in the nightcap of Thursday’s doubleheader.

He’s surpassed Matt Kemp as the hottest hitter in baseball at the moment, hitting an insane .395 with 15 homers and 38 RBI. He’s currently in negotiations with the Rangers over a possible contract extension, and with the amazing numbers he’s putting up they’d surely be wise to give him whatever he’s asking for. There’s no doubting that when he’s healthy, he’s one of the most most prolific hitters in the league and a surefire MVP candidate.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Rangers have reopened negotiations with Josh Hamilton on a possible contract extension.

Contract talks were tabled following Hamilton’s relapse in early February, but the two sides recently began discussing a long-term contract. However, the Rangers remain of signing him to a contract similar in value to the one the Angels gave to Albert Pujols (10 years, $240 million) or the one the Tigers gave to Prince Fielder (nine years, $214 million). It’s an understandable concern given Hamilton’s addiction and injury history. If the impending free agent continues his torrid pace, he might find his best offer on the open market.

Josh Hamilton became the 16th player in Major League Baseball history to hit four homers in game in Tuesday’s blowout win over the Orioles.

It’s the first time four-homer game in MLB since Carlos Delgado’s big night back in 2033. Hamilton took Jake Arrieta deep in the first and third, Zach Phillips in the seventh and Darren O’Day in the eighth. All four of Hamilton’s longballs were of the two-run variety, and he also added a double for good measure, giving him an AL-record 18 total bases on the night. The Rangers’ slugger moved ahead of Matt Kemp for the majors home run lead with 13, and he’s now batting .406 with a major league-leading 36 RBI.

Josh Hamilton went 1-for-3 with his 26th RBI in Sunday’s loss to the Indians.

Hamilton singled in the first and played Ian Kinsler with an eighth-inning grounder. Returning from a back injury, Hamilton went just 3-for-11 in Texas’ series loss in Cleveland, but appears to be healthy. With the Rangers head to Baltimore for a four-game series before returning home, Hamilton should be ready to resume raking.

Both Josh Hamilton (back) and Adrian Beltre (leg soreness) are expected to return to the lineup Friday.

Good news for the first place Rangers. Hamilton has missed three straight games with a stiff back, while Beltre has been nursing some leg soreness likely related to previous hamstring issues. They’ll face the Indians’ Jeanmar Gomez Friday.