Center fielder Josh Hamilton will be placed on the 15-day disabled list, assuming tonight’s game against New York doesn’t get rained out, with what was described by assistant general manager Thad Levine as an abdominal strain that effectively is a form of a sports hernia.

Hamilton will seek a second opinion, though the Rangers haven’t found a doctor to do another evaluation yet. For now, the prescribed treatment is rest with anti-inflammatories. Levine said it’s possible Hamilton could return at the end of his DL stay, but if surgery is required, Hamilton could miss more than two months.

Brandon Boggs will be recalled from Triple A Oklahoma City for tonight’s game if there is no rainout. Boggs has already joined the team at Yankee Stadium.

Josh Hamilton, out of the Rangers lineup on Sunday with abdominal pain, is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday which could determine the extent of his injury and whether or not he needs to go back on the disabled list. “I don’t want to, but …” Hamilton said. “I don’t like those two letters [D.L.], but if it’s necessary, it’s necessary. If it’s not, we’ll work through it and see where it goes from there.” Hamilton said he is playing at about “75 percent,” but said it’s “below 50 percent” when he tries to run. He was used at designated hitter on Saturday night and went 1-for-5. We’ll know in the next couple of days,” Hamilton said. “Right now, I’m hurt and sore and can’t run. That’s pretty vital to playing baseball.” Hamilton hasn’t been the same since crashing into a wall making a catch against the Angels two weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. He missed the next three games and has been playing in discomfort since then. He is hitting .216 with one home run and five RBIs in the 10 games that he’s played since the injury. For the season, he is hitting .234 with six home runs and 24 RBIs in 34 games. He has a .452 slugging percentage and a .285 on-base percentage. “Baseball-wise it hasn’t been a problem me getting frustrated,” Hamilton said. “I’m struggling a little bit. The injuries are frustrating, more so the way I’ve been getting hurt running into walls. Last year I didn’t have any plays like that, now it’s happened twice.” Hamilton spent two weeks on the disabled list at the beginning of May because of a bruised left rib cage that he sustained running into a wall in Toronto. He was just starting to come around with the bat when he ran into the wall against the Angels. He originally suffered a strained groin muscle but the injury has worked its way up into the abdominal area. “He’s battling an injury and when you’re battling an injury like that, you can’t drive the ball,” manager Ron Washington said. “Hopefully today and [Monday's off-day] will help it settle down a little.”

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The Rangers have presented an offer on a contract extension to outfielder Josh Hamilton and his agent Michael Moye. Exact details of the offer are unavailable but the two sides are believed to be looking at a deal in the 4-6 year range with possible options. The initial offer did not get an immediate positive reception. “My agent and I were disappointed with their offer,” Hamilton said. “The negotiations have begun.” Hamilton has two years of service time and is signed for this season at $555,000. A long-term contract would cover Hamilton’s three seasons of arbitration eligibility but the Rangers have made it clear they would also like to buy out at least 1-3 years of free agency as well. “Obviously we love the player,” Rangers owner Tom Hicks said. “We want him to be a Ranger for a long time. We need to let the process work. If not, we can still enjoy him for four more years. “The way his agent looks at it and the way we look at it, both sides have the uncertainty of arbitration. But from our side, if we remove the risk of arbitration, we’d want to take out at least a couple of free agent years too.” Hamilton, an American League All-Star, who hit .304 with 32 home runs and 130 RBIs last year, can be a free agent after the 2012 season. The Rangers have a history of signing young players to long-term extensions that cover arbitration-eligible years and 1-2 years of free agency. The Rangers did that with Michael Young and Hank Blalock early in their careers and Ian Kinsler last season. “That’s been our M.O. in the past, to tie up who we think are going to be our key players,” club president Nolan Ryan said. “That makes it easier to project where we’ll be and what we’re dealing with. We’d like to do it [with Hamilton] and they have an interest. Hopefully it will work out.”

A possible contract extension for outfielder Josh Hamilton remains one of the unsolved stories for the Rangers this spring, but it hasn’t been forgotten. Hamilton’s agent, Michael Moye, is in Phoenix this week on personal business, and it’s possible he could get together with the Rangers before his departure. Monday might be the perfect time, as Texas has a day off. General manager Jon Daniels has not yet made an offer to Moye. The Rangers are still discussing the possibility internally. Owner Tom Hicks has to be on-board with any offer, and he has not been in camp lately. He has also not met with Daniels at length about the situation. The Rangers’ priority Saturday was a postgame organizational meeting between Daniels, Washington and their staffs to discuss the 25-man roster. The Rangers mainly want to talk about Andruw Jones — whether they should keep him as a part-time designated hitter or move on without him. Hamilton’s contract is on hold for the time being, but it will likely move to the front soon. Hamilton has two years of Major League experience. An extension would likely cover his three arbitration-eligible years and at least one year of free agency. The Rangers have done similar deals in Spring Training with players in the past, including Ian Kinsler’s contract last spring.

The Rangers have Josh Hamilton under
contract for 2009. Now they are giving thought to getting him
signed for an extended period of time. Hamilton agreed on
Wednesday to a one-year, $555,000 contract for ’09, the
highest salary the Rangers have given to a player not
eligible for arbitration. Hamilton has two years of service
time and was not eligible for free agency. We wanted to
recognize the season he had last year,” Texas general manager
Jon Daniels said. Daniels said the club now will at least
consider the possibility of doing a multiyear contract with
Hamilton, who is represented by Michael Moye. “We told Josh
we’re going to put some thought into it and see if a
multiyear deal makes sense,” Daniels said. “We may have some
discussions, but we have not yet begun negotiations. We’ll
talk about it internally.” Hamilton, after being acquired
from the Reds, hit .304 with 32 home runs and 130 RBIs for
the Rangers in 2008. He was 2-for-3 with a home run on
Wednesday in the Rangers’ 12-7 victory over the Royals in the
Cactus League opener at Surprise Stadium. “Obviously, first
things first,” Hamilton said. “It’s good to get a one-year
deal signed. If this multiyear thing works out, that’s a
bonus for me and the Rangers. That’s one of those things I
let my agent handle.” The Rangers have a history of signing
pre-arbitration-eligible players to long-term contracts and
getting it done in Spring Training. Ian Kinsler had just two
years of service last spring when he agreed to a five-year,
$22 million deal. Hank Blalock signed a five-year deal in the
spring of 2004, and the Rangers also picked up the option
last October, keeping him from becoming a free agent during
the winter. Michael Young did both a four-year deal at the
end of Spring Training in ’04 and a five-year extension last
spring. Blalock, Young and Kinsler all avoided arbitration
hearings with their first multiyear deal. “Obviously I have
the last say, but I want to stay out of the loop until the
end,” Hamilton said. “To get something done and have security
for my family is something I’d like to have, but I’m not
worried about it. It’s not something I’m thinking about when
I wake up in the morning.”

Josh Hamilton’s contract is next on the agenda for the Rangers.Over the next few weeks, the Rangers will be turning their attention to signing their pre-arbitration players before the start of the Cactus League season,and Hamilton is foremost among that group. The question is if the Rangers will be able to sign Hamilton to a long-term deal or if they will have to settle on another one-year deal. A long-term deal is preferable.