In late May Texas Rangers OF Josh Hamilton tore an oblique while playing defense.  He had surgery on June 9th and missed a total of 30 games.  Hamilton has some of the best power in all of baseball when he’s healthy, but since returning from the DL (20 games) he’s slugging only .269.

I would think that this is partly because Hamilton hasn’t fully recovered, or he’s healthy but the muscle hasn’t loosened up since healing.

One way pitchers and hitters generate power is hip/shoulder separation.  Typically, more separation produces more power.  This separation causes core muscles to stretch and then slingshot the shoulders around.

For example, Tim Lincecum is able to throw the ball in the mid-90s despite his slight stature thanks in part to some of the best hip/shoulder separation you’ll see from a pitcher.  In his prime, Ken Griffey Jr. had great hip/shoulder separation which allowed him to hit the ball a mile without being as built as many power hitters of the Steroids Era.

Hamilton was back on the field less than a month after surgery.  If he is unable to stretch that muscle out as much as normal or if he’s not at full strength his bat speed wouldn’t be as great, which could make it difficult to square pitches up and put his normal charge into them.

Once the muscle fully heals and is loosened up he could be back to normal, but how much recovery can there be with him playing every day?

Of course, he could just be in a slump as he continues to shake the rust off after a month off, but it could be something to watch for.