Hamilton exits, day to day with sore shoulder

MINNEAPOLIS -- Cleanup hitter and left fielder Josh Hamilton was removed from Thursday's game in the middle of the eighth inning with a sore AC joint in his right shoulder. He took a cortisone shot after the Angels' 5-4 win to reduce the inflammation, but he doesn't expect to play on Friday.

Hamilton started feeling soreness in the area in Houston on Tuesday, then aggravated it while fielding Trevor Plouffe's liner off the wall in the second inning on Thursday and didn't feel right swinging the bat in his next three plate appearances.

After the game, Hamilton -- batting .263 with 10 homers and 44 RBIs in 88 games -- said he is still "real sore."

The Angels are hopeful that he'll only miss one game.