PITTSBURGH -- A strong offensive performance on Tuesday against the Pirates for Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton was cut short because of a sore left ankle. Hamilton was lifted in the top of the eighth inning.
In the Reds' 9-1 victory at PNC Park, Hamilton hit a first-inning triple and scored and slugged a three-run home run in the second inning that made it 5-1 and put the game away. But in the sixth inning, he made an awkward catch of a John Jaso line drive. Although he came up smiling, Hamilton limped off the field.
"After he caught that ball in center, the line drive that knuckled on him, I never knew that he had any issue," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We talked between innings, kind of messing around between innings, and I didn't know. I saw him after that ball that he caught out there in the outfield and he's kind of moving around funky."
Arismendy Alcantara pinch-hit for Hamilton in the eighth inning, and the Major Leagues' stolen base leader will be examined again on Wednesday.
"We were able to get him out of there, and hopefully there won't be any lingering issues with it, but we'll have to wait till tomorrow," Price said.
Hamilton, who is batting .254 with a .305 on-base percentage and 44 steals, was 2-for-4 in the game and batting .314 (22-for-70) in the second half.