CHICAGO — Texas left-hander Cole Hamels was scratched from his scheduled Monday start against the New York Yankees due to a strained left groin, but he and the Rangers expressed little concern about his situation.
Hamels is expected to miss just the one start.
“I have a long stride, so it kind of happens,” he said. “Just kind of want to monitor it because it is early. With having it before, I kind of have an understanding of how long it takes. I don’t want something to linger throughout the rest of the season so I can be at my best and feel confident that I can make plays in and around the diamond.”
Hamels said he felt the injury late in his last start, when he allowed a run in 6 2/3 innings against the Houston Astros on Wednesday. He said he has dealt with the issue before and is trying to be precautionary.
“(We) would much rather give him the extra time now so we don’t create a bigger situation for us further down the road,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said.
Left-hander Cesar Ramos will start in Hamels’ place Monday against the New York Yankees. He was 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA at Triple-A Round Rock this season.
