ARLINGTON — The Rangers have already gone with out star shortstop Corey Seager for a month this season, they usually should go a pair extra weeks as soon as once more.
Seager landed on the 10-day injured record for the second time in 2023, this time with a proper thumb sprain, the membership introduced earlier than a 16-3 loss to the Dodgers on Saturday. He was faraway from Friday evening’s loss to the Dodgers within the eighth inning after jamming his thumb on a slide into second base.
“It was painful,” Seager stated. “It’s simply unlucky. … Clearly, you do not need something too dangerous, and it might have [been] quite a bit worse than it was.”
The X-rays had been detrimental on Friday, and the MRI on Saturday confirmed no structural injury, so Seager ought to solely want across the full 10 days to let the irritation subside. The one different hand damage Seager has suffered in his huge league profession was a metacarpal fracture in his proper hand in 2021 with the Dodgers.
“I am sore and I am swollen, however it’s form of to be anticipated,” Seager stated. “Sorry, I haven’t got any solutions as a result of I do not know the place I am at. So we’ll form of see because it goes.”
This season, Seager is hitting .350 with 15 house runs, 58 RBIs and a 1.044 OPS in 66 video games whereas rating amongst AL leaders in doubles (T-2nd, 29), extra-base hits (fifth, 44) and RBIs (T-Thirteenth). He missed 31 video games from April 12-Could 17 with a left hamstring pressure, however hadn’t missed a step since returning. In 55 video games since coming off the IL, Seager slashed .348/.402/.647 with 14 house runs, 25 doubles and 54 RBIs.
However the Rangers ought to as soon as once more be in good arms with out him.
With out Seager the primary time round, the Rangers went 19-13 and the offense thrived.
Texas’ lineup was top-of-the-line in MLB over that span, slashing .271/.342/.450 with a 119 wRC+ as a crew. Their 200 runs had been probably the most in MLB throughout that point interval.
“Look, I will say this quite a bit — when one thing like this occurs, you don’t have any selection however to maneuver on,” stated supervisor Bruce Bochy. “That is what we’ll do, and we have needed to do it earlier than, so we all know we will. It is apparent we’re gonna miss Corey. I imply, this man, what a fantastic participant he’s.
“So I believe we acquired the perfect of the information that we might get about his scenario. It may be a bit of time, however not prefer it might have been, so I will take the information that we acquired. I think about that excellent news. Once I first heard about it, I used to be actually involved, however it was excellent news.”
And they need to be set on the shortstop place as nicely.
In Seager’s absence earlier this season, utilityman Ezequiel Duran began the majority of the video games at shortstop. In 29 video games (26 begins) when Seager was on the IL, Duran slashed .303/.339/.532 with six house runs and 21 RBIs. Duran began at shortstop on Saturday for the second recreation towards the Dodgers.
Duran went 1-for-3 with a stroll and a run scored in Saturday’s loss.
“It actually sucks with Corey happening, however on the similar time, he went down earlier within the 12 months and the crew stepped up,” stated starter Dane Dunning, who gave up 5 runs in three innings. “I really feel like our crew is aggressive sufficient and gifted sufficient to have the ability to try this once more. Clearly, it hurts us a bit of bit with Corey happening, however Zeke has been an exceptional, phenomenal hitter on the plate and he is a fantastic defender as nicely. So we simply form of preserve transferring ahead and wipe these final two days away and simply go from there.”
Bochy added that he expects to assemble his lineup equally to how he did when Seager was out the primary time, and he’s inspired by how the complete crew responded.
“It is a fantastic message to the membership with how nicely they performed when he went down earlier than,” Bochy stated. “It reveals that it is not at all times only one participant. It’s 9 guys, and these guys actually confirmed a number of resolve final time it occurred and it’s what we’ve to do now. You haven’t any selection. So right here we’re.”
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