When Josh Hamilton crashed into the wall while catching a Delmon Young fly ball on Sept. 4, he probably wasn’t thinking about the injuries he might sustain. Now, almost three weeks later, it’s been revealed that he has two fractured ribs and may be out of the Rangers’ lineup for more than just the rest of this season. Hamilton is still hardly able to rotate his body, much less swing a bat, and his recovery continues to stall.

Previous x-rays and MRIs had not found the fractures, but it explains why Hamilton’s recovery has been slow. He was treated with inflammatory medicine and won’t know the extent of the new discovery for a few days, but with the postseason looming around the corner, he may not want to wait too long before making a comeback. Injury is a part of sport, and it’s up to Hamilton when he’s ready to come back. He may have to try to play through the pain as Texas having an injured Hamilton as opposed to no Hamilton at all.

With a league-leading .341 average, 31 home runs, 97 RBI, 94 runs scored and a .635 slugging percentage, Hamilton was a prime candidate for the AL MVP award, but his chances might suffer due to missing almost a full month of play when his team needs him the most. However, there’s not much chance of the Rangers not making the playoffs at this point, and a lot of that had to with Hamilton’s performance on the field, so maybe voters will overlook his absence in favor of his role in keeping Texas in first place.

The Rangers will face either the Yankees or the Rays in the Divisional Series; both of which will be extremely tough. If Hamilton can’t get back and play some games before the end of the season, the Rangers will suffer tremendously, even if he does come back for the playoffs. What’s important for Hamilton now is to continue testing his ribs and maybe even force his way back into the lineup even if he’s a designated hitter. There will be plenty of time for rest over the winter.