Report: Angels' Josh Hamilton has bone bruise in left thumb

The Angels will have to wait even longer for the return of slugger Josh Hamilton. (Bob Levey/Getty Images) The Los Angeles Angels expected outfielder Josh

The Angels will have to wait even longer for the return of slugger Josh Hamilton. (Bob Levey/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Angels expected outfielder Josh Hamilton to be back in their lineup on Monday, but instead, a test Monday revealed a bone bruise to his left thumb, reports MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez.

Hamilton was jammed by a fastball in a rehabilitation game at Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday and experienced discomfort in his thumb.

"It just got in on me a little bit," Hamilton said. "It probably would've almost been better if the bat had shattered, instead of absorbing all the force of it. And the splint I was wearing — it was probably going to be my last day wearing it — probably prevented my thumb from absorbing it like it should have. So it took more of the brunt and force."

Hamilton suffered a complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament while sliding into first base on April 8.

Gonzalez reports that Hamilton hopes to take batting practice again on Wednesday and may rejoin the Salt Lake Bees.

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Josh Hamilton has a bone bruise on left thumb. Will take a couple days off before starting BP again. #Angels

— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) May 26, 2014