Hamilton was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Worcester on Saturday, retroactive to June 2, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.
Hamilton will be sidelined for at least the next week, but the Red Sox don't expect him to face a lengthy absence. The 25-year-old is performing well in his first taste of the Triple-A level this year with a .267/.344/.524 slash line, 11 homers and 26 stolen bases in 47 games.
Boston optioned Hamilton to Triple-A Worcester on Monday.
The 25-year-old Hamilton may not be polished enough as a hitter to profile as a realistic everyday player for Boston down the road, but his elite speed was enough to earn a spot on the Red Sox's 40-man roster this offseason. After impressing in a small sample of action in the Grapefruit League -- Hamilton got on base at a .370 clip and went 5-for-5 on stolen-base attempts over his first 13 games -- he'll now get the chance to hone his skills with Boston's top minor-league affiliate to begin the 2023 season.
Hamilton was added to Boston's 40-man roster Tuesday, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.
Hamilton is so fast that he could be used as a pinch runner at times now that he is on the 40-man roster. The 25-year-old middle infielder was just a touch above league average as a hitter at Double-A (104 wRC+) but hit 12 home runs with 70 steals in 119 games.
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Red Sox's David Hamilton: Erupts in opener
Rotowire
Hamilton went 4-for-5 with two home runs and seven RBI for Double-A Portland on Friday.
Hamilton, who came to the Red Sox from Milwaukee in the Hunter Renfroe trade, was a double short of the cycle in the first game with his new organization. The 24-year-old speedster batted leadoff and also stole a base for the Sea Dogs. He stole 52 bags in two minor-league stops in 2021, a sign that he's regained speed after sustaining an Achilles injury while in college.
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Red Sox's David Hamilton: Receives invite to big-league camp
Rotowire
Hamilton was invited to Boston's major-league spring training Saturday.
Hamilton was traded from the Brewers to the Red Sox in early December as part of the deal involving Jackie Bradley and Hunter Renfroe, and the 24-year-old will have a chance to develop with the major-league coaching staff in his new organization. He was promoted to Double-A Biloxi during the 2021 campaign and hit .242 with three homers, 16 runs, 12 RBI and 11 stolen bases across 33 games. Although the shortstop showcased his speed by stealing 52 bases between the High-A and Double-A levels last year, he'll likely begin the 2022 season at Double-A Portland and seems unlikely to make his major-league debut this year.
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Red Sox's David Hamilton: Traded to Red Sox
Rotowire
Hamilton, Jackie Bradley and Alex Binelas were traded from the Brewers to the Red Sox on Wednesday in exchange for Hunter Renfroe.
Hamilton was an eighth-round pick during the 2019 draft and had his first taste of professional baseball last season. He had a .773 OPS in 68 games at High-A before being promoted to Double-A, where he posted a .727 OPS in 33 contests. The 24-year-old was listed among Milwaukee's top prospects and is unlikely to make his way to the majors in 2022.
Hamilton was promoted from High-A Wisconsin to Double-A Biloxi on Tuesday.
One of the fastest players in the minors, Hamilton hit .264/.352/.424 with five home runs and 41 steals on 47 tries in 67 games at High-A. His 18.5 percent strikeout rate and 11.4 percent walk rate were also impressive, but Hamilton turns 24 in September, so he was pretty old for a legitimate prospect at that level. Double-A will be a much more telling test for the lefty-hitting speedster.
