Manager Jeff Banister said Friday that Hamilton (knee) is "getting real close to being more than just a pinch hitter," the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

EDGE Analysis

Hamilton said he thinks he will be able to play left field again before the end of the regular season, something he feels is necessary to convince the team that he can contribute regularly in the playoffs. The 34-year-old struck out for the final out of the sixth inning Sunday in his second pinch-hit appearance undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery Sept. 11.