Rangers notes: Hamilton holds no grudge with Angels

The whole dalliance Josh Hamilton had with the Los Angeles Angels is so over with. At least for Hamilton.

The weekend series that pits the Texas Rangers against the Angels means nothing extra for Hamilton, despite the acrimonious split when he was traded back to Texas in late April.

He was not aware of comments Angels manager Mike Scioscia has repeatedly made calling for Hamilton to reach out or apologize to his former teammates, even though Hamilton has often complimented his former teammates, talked of having lunch with a group of them in April in Houston and routinely texts some of them to catch up. No, he doesn’t care what his former manager has to say.

“Not one thing. That’s how I like to keep it,” Hamilton said. “Whether things are said or digs are made … if I don’t look and read or watch the news then I don’t have to worry about responding to it. So we’re good on that fact.”

Besides, Hamilton said, he’s too busy focusing on his return from the disabled list and spending time with his four daughters, who are in town with him for the next two weeks after his divorce was recently made final.

“It’s more of a mental boost for me to spend time with them, be with them, kiss them and play with them and be a dad,” he said. “I’m excited.”

It was a long night for Hamilton. The team arrived from Baltimore around 2 a.m. He got home around 3 and went to bed about 4:15 a.m. He had to take a drug test at 7:30 a.m. and his four daughters arrived at 9 a.m.

“I’ve been going all day with them. Took them shopping today, bought some clothes. Went out to eat,” he said. “It was chaos. It was fun.”

Hamilton said he has no ill will toward the Angels and doesn’t hold any grudges.

“There’s no searching for closure for me. It’s over. I’ve moved on. I’m in Texas now. I’ve got a great group of guys here. I had a great group of guys in Anaheim. You don’t look back, you just move forward,” he said. “For me, it’s just like playing against the Angels when I played with Texas before I went to the Angels. You do everything you can to try to beat them.”

Feliz’s role

Former closer Neftali Feliz is back in the bullpen but his exact role is unclear.

Feliz didn’t exactly light it up during his 10-game stint with Triple A Round Rock before returning to the Rangers on Thursday.

Feliz had a 7.36 ERA, allowed 12 hits and struck out six with four walks in 11 innings. Manger Jeff Banister was noncommittal about how Feliz would be used.

“Right now, there is a formula with the pitchers out of the bullpen … a winning formula,” he said. “We’ll try to find a spot we feel fits Neftali. We’re not going to force the issue in putting him in any one slot.

“Right now, we kind of like the combination of [Shawn] Tolleson, [Tanner] Scheppers, [Keone] Kela, [Sam] Freeman, and add [Spencer] Patton in that mix for the back end, if you will.”

International signings

The Rangers signed three more international free agents Friday. Right-hander Rodolfo Garcia (Mexico) features a good fastball and developing curve and changeup, according to a club release. He’s 6-foot-2 and figures to be a starter.

Catcher Max Morales (Dominican Republic) bats right-handed and is a former third baseman with less than a year behind the plate. He’s the son of San Diego Padres Class A manager Francisco Morales. Shortstop Adrian Pernalete (Venezuela) is a switch-hitter with good contact skills, the club said, with the versatility to play any infield spot.

First-rounder traded

Former 2010 first-round draft pick (No. 15 overall) outfielder Jake Skole was trade to the New York Yankees for cash considerations. Skole was batting .218 with 13 extra-base hits and 12 RBI for Double A Frisco.

This story was originally published July 3, 2015 at 6:43 PM with the headline "Rangers notes: Hamilton holds no grudge with Angels."