Los Angeles @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 30, 2010 ) LA Angels 2, Texas 3

The Texas Rangers will have the top hitter in the majors back in the lineup Friday night, as outfielder Josh Hamilton will make his return from broken ribs when the Rangers host the Los Angeles Angels in the second game of a four-game series.

Hamilton hasn’t played since breaking two ribs on Sept. 4 when he crashed into the wall at Minnesota’s Target Field.

Hamilton’s .361 average is the best in baseball and he has 31 homers and 97 RBIs in 130 games.

The plan is for Hamilton to play six innings in the outfield on Friday, serve as the designated hitter on Saturday and then again play the field in Sunday’s regular-season finale.

Hamilton will be using the three games to get himself ready for the American League playoffs. Texas is expected to start postseason play on Oct. 6.

While Hamilton is back, fellow outfielder David Murphy won’t play again in the regular season due to a groin injury. Texas is hoping Murphy will be ready for the playoffs.

Hamilton gets a nice initial test in his first outing in nearly four weeks by facing Angels ace Jered Weaver. Hamilton is a .333 career hitter against Weaver with five of his eight hits being doubles.

Weaver is vying for the major-league strikeout title. The right-hander has fanned 229 hitters while going 13-12 with a 3.01 earned-run average.

He is currently three strikeouts behind Seattle’s Felix Hernandez and two back of San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum for the major-league lead, but Hernandez is not expected to start again this season and Lincecum may not be needed in the regular season again if the Giants clinch the division before Sunday.

Weaver is making his sixth start of the season against Texas. He’s 3-1 with a 3.73 ERA against the Rangers.

Weaver defeated Texas 11 days ago when he gave up three runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Tommy Hunter (13-4, 3.80 ERA) faces the Angels as he tunes up for a possible Game 4 start in the divisional playoffs.

Hunter has struggled against the Angels in two starts this season, allowing 11 runs in 9 1/3 innings for a 10.61 ERA. Hunter’s ERA is 10.26 in four career starts against Los Angeles.

Vladimir Guerrero continued his season-long assault on the Angels with two RBIs, including the decisive eighth-inning single, as Texas won 3-2 in Thursday’s opening game of the series.

Guerrero now has 16 RBIs in 64 at-bats this season against his former team. Vlad has homered five times and is batting .313 against Los Angeles.

Angels center fielder Peter Bourjos had three hits, including a game-tying homer in the eighth inning.

Two Texas players didn’t play Thursday due to illnesses. First baseman Jorge Cantu had a head cold and outfielder Jeff Francoeur was held out with a stomach virus.