Josh Hamilton's Rangers reunion comes at a perfect time

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Outfielder Josh Hamilton will join a rejuvenated Rangers team Monday in Cleveland, the perfect no-pressure situation for a high-profile reunion, the Dallas Morning News reported.

The Rangers just completed a three-game sweep of the Yankees to extend a season-best five-game winning streak.

Now, enter Hamilton, a five-time All-Star and AL MVP in his previous stint with the team. He'll likely move into the lineup batting fifth and playing left field—and, Prince Fielder said, making the Rangers better in the process.

“It’s not going to be bad, that’s for sure,” said Fielder, who has been on a white-hot streak of late, including nine RBIs in the Yankees series. “He’s an MVP [in 2010]. Any time you add an MVP, it’s never going to hurt.”

This time around, however, the Rangers will ask him to play more of a complementary role. If he provides more than that, all the better.

“Don’t be more than who you are,” manager Jeff Banister said of his message to Hamilton. “Just be you. There are 24 players who are going to support you. Do the same for them.”

Banister was still considering an ideal lineup spot for him in the batting order but was leaning toward having Hamilton hit fifth, choosing not to mess with the Rangers' main offensive engines: Fielder in the third spot, Adrian Beltre batting cleanup.

The wild card: How much does Hamilton, who turned 34 Thursday, have to offer?

Given his battles with addictions and injuries, it's a hard 34, the Morning News noted. He's coming off two poor seasons with the Angels. In February, he underwent shoulder surgery then self-reported a relapse in his drug and alcohol rehab program. His "spring training" consisted of 12 games with the Rangers’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. 

“We don’t know how healthy he was [with the Angels],” Beltre said. “I’ve seen Josh when he was going good and going bad. I never saw him having a stretch of really good [with the Angels].”

Banister said the team will give Hamilton “a big hug” on his first day on the job. After that, Banister said he will “sit back and watch him play.”

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Bob Hille is a senior content consultant for The Sporting News.