ARLINGTON (AP) - Reigning AL MVP Josh Hamilton is going to try contact lenses to help him see the ball better during day games.

Hamilton wore the tinted lenses during batting practice and outfield drills Friday before the Texas Rangers' game against the New York Mets.

"Yeah, I could tell a difference," Hamilton said after being outside more than an hour with the lenses. "I can see everything normal. It just takes the brightness off everything."

The lenses, intended to reduce brightness instead of magnifying things, made the slugger's blue eyes appear to be red.

Hamilton is hitting only .122 (6 for 49) with no homers and 17 strikeouts in 14 day games this season. Before Friday night's game, he had hit .374 (41 for 109) with six homers and 14 strikeouts in 25 night games.

When talking about that large discrepancy between his numbers earlier this week, Hamilton said he had a tougher time seeing the ball during day games because of his blue eyes.

"I've never worn contact lenses in my life and I really would like to see the ball in the daytime. So therefor, I'm trying any means possible," Hamilton said Friday. "I actually care and I want to be better (in the day)."

The biggest adjustment could be knowing how to keep the lenses lubricated.

"It's weird," he said. "My eyes feel a little strained right now just for having something laying on them."

Hamilton said he asked team trainers to help him come up with something to help with his vision during the day. They had the contacts for him when he got to the ballpark Friday after a day off.

The outfielder plans to wear the lenses only for day games. The Rangers play afternoon games twice this weekend against the Mets, then don't play another day game until July 10 in the last game before the All-Star break.

Rangers manager Ron Washington said Hamilton would be in the starting lineup Saturday.

Hamilton led the majors last season with a .359 batting average, when he hit .286 with six homers in 36 day games. In his career, he has hit .242 in 135 day games and .333 in 372 night games.

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