Reds' Billy Hamilton to have season-ending shoulder surgery

Marc Lancaster

Reds' Billy Hamilton to have season-ending shoulder surgery image

Billy Hamilton's 2015 season has come to a premature end, but the MLB stolen base leader hopes it will make for a better 2016.

Hamilton will have surgery Friday to repair the sprained capsule in his right shoulder, the Reds announced Monday night. The outfielder has been dealing with the issue for more than a month and hasn't played since a pinch-running appearance Sept. 16.

Reds medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek examined Hamilton over the weekend and the team decided Monday to shut the speedster down for the season.

"They’re basically going to scope it and clean it up, there’s no structural damage," general manager Walt Jocketty told reporters, via the Cincinnati Enquirer, "but we think this will help and he'll be 100 percent and ready to go before spring training.”

Though Hamilton leads the majors with 57 steals, his second full season in the majors has been a struggle at times. His .226/.274/.289 slash line attests to his woes at the plate; his .563 OPS is second-worst in the majors among players with at least 450 plate appearances.

Hamilton's shoulder injury is a relatively recent development, so it can't be blamed for his offensive issues this season, but the 25-year-old figures he might as well get a jump on 2016.

“I told them whatever they can do to make it better, I’ll do it,” Hamilton said. “If we can do the surgery right away, I’ll still have my offseason plans and keep doing them. It’s just something we all decided was best for me and the team to look forward more to next year. I’m up for it.”

Marc Lancaster

Marc Lancaster Photo

Marc Lancaster joined The Sporting News in 2022 after working closely with TSN for five years as an editor for the company now known as Stats Perform. He previously worked as an editor at The Washington Times, AOL’s FanHouse.com and the old CNNSportsIllustrated.com, and as a beat writer covering the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, and University of Georgia football and women’s basketball. A Georgia graduate, he has been a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2013.