Cincinnati Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton will miss time due to a concussion. It is unclear when he’ll return to the field. 

Continue for updates.


Hamilton Placed on 7-Day DL

Friday, June 10

The Reds announced Hamilton was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list after leaving Wednesday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Per C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the injury occurred when Hamilton hit his head on a slide into third base. 

Hamilton is a uniquely skilled player whom Cincinnati will be hard-pressed to replace. The 25-year-old is a switch-hitter and one of the fastest players in baseball, which makes him an asset on the basepaths as well as in the outfield.

In addition to having stupendous defensive range and a strong arm, Hamilton racked up 113 stolen bases over the previous two seasons. He played in only 114 games in 2015 and had 57 steals on 65 attempts despite missing the end of the year after undergoing right shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum.

Unfortunately, a nagging thumb injury plagued Hamilton toward the beginning of the 2016 campaign, limiting his ability to contribute as the club sought to get off to a strong start following last year’s woeful 64-98 campaign.

The Reds’ official depth chart lists Tyler Holt as the next man up to fill in for Hamilton in center field. Holt, a right-handed hitter, lacks speed and hasn’t proved to be a dependable hitter in his career with a .249/.311/.283 slash line to date.

The Reds are in a rebuilding phase and own the second-worst record in the National League, so they don’t need to rush Hamilton back to try making a postseason push. 

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