ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) β Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia has confirmed troubled right fielder Josh Hamilton is close to beginning an extended spring program in Arizona.
Hamilton, who has been recovering from surgery on Feb. 4 to repair the AC joint in his right shoulder, was visited by Scioscia in Houston last week prior to the Angels’ weekend series with the Astros.
Hamilton, a five-time All-Star and 2010 AL MVP, learned recently that Major League Baseball would not discipline him for his self-reported relapse into substance abuse. He has a full no-trade clause in his five-year, $125 million contract, and is still owed $83 million through the 2017 season.
Angels owner Arte Moreno said shortly after the season began that the language in Hamilton’s contract gives the Angels an out if he has a relapse. The Players’ Association disputed those claims.
