David Hamilton shows off his sneak pop, homering in his first at-bat
With Trevor Story down with a left shoulder injury, it’s next man up for the Red Sox. Boston recalled infielder David Hamilton from Triple-A Worcester on Saturday and on Sunday he was penciled in to start at shortstop.
Hamilton was welcomed back to the bigs in the second inning when Angels’ slugger Miguel Sanó smoked a 112.8 mph grounder to short, which was ruled a single. It’s a play that Hamilton admitted he should have made.
“He smoked it at me,” Hamilton said to reporters in Anaheim following the game. “Should have caught it.”
Hamilton made up for the misplay when Logan O’Hoppe grounded to shortstop and he turned a double play.
“I was hoping that next one came at me to turn that double play,” Hamilton said. “So thankfully it did.”
With the jitters of getting into his first big league game of the season out of the way, Hamilton would make his presence felt offensively in the third inning.
Hamilton blasted his first big league homer on his first at-bat in 2024. The speedy infielder went 2-for-4 with a walk out of the No. 9 hole on Sunday.
“That’s what I want to do. I want to help the team win,” Hamilton said. “I want this team to go to the postseason and win the World Series. And hopefully I can be a part of that.”
Hamilton’s first stint in the bigs didn’t go to plan; he struggled at the plate, batting .121 (4-for-33) with two doubles, two stolen bases, and a .438 OPS. His offensive struggles don’t paint an accurate picture of him as a hitter. The Texas native dealt with a thumb injury last year that impacted his play both offensively and defensively.
Hamilton injured his thumb with the WooSox when he attempted to make a play on a grounder last season. He was subsequently placed on the injured list and started immediate treatment on his thumb daily in the WooSox clubhouse. Hamilton would have surgery in September of last year to fix the issue, and he is fully healthy this season.
The first homer for Hamilton is not a fluke-type hit; he has sneaky pop and has been showing that off down in the minors with the WooSox. Chad Tracy has been impressed with Hamilton’s pop while in Worcester, and when he’s getting on base and incorporating his speed, he is a fun player to watch.
