Outfielder Josh Hamilton will undergo left knee surgery and will miss the 2016 season, the Texas Rangers announced Monday.
Hamilton, already on the 60-day disabled list, has not played yet this season because of his knee, but the Rangers had initially expected him to return this season. Instead, Hamilton, 35, will have what will be his third surgery on the knee on June 8.
"It's not totally unexpected because of the sheer number of procedures he's had on the knee and the lack of relief that he's had," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "It's not a surprise at this point.''
Daniels said that Hamilton expects to be back on the field in 2017, which will be the final year of his five-year, $125 million contract.
"His mindset is he will," Daniels said. "He is very convicted."
Despite the hefty price tag, the Rangers are picking up only a small portion of the tab after they took Hamilton off the Los Angeles Angels' hands last year in a trade.
Since his return to Texas, Hamilton has only 170 regular-season plate appearances and has hit just eight home runs.
News of Hamilton's lost year came on the same day the Rangers announced that outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is headed back to the disabled list after suffering an injury in his first game back Friday.
Choo has a strained left hamstring after previously rehabbing a strained right calf.