Corey Seager was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday due to discomfort in his right hip, which could potentially cut short his third season with the Texas Rangers.
The move was made before the Rangers’ final game against the New York Yankees. Seager did not play on Tuesday night after serving as the designated hitter in the series opener.
He also missed Friday’s game against Oakland because of the hip issue. Manager Bruce Bochy noted that Seager has been dealing with soreness for about a month.
General manager Chris Young indicated that the team has not yet received a definitive medical diagnosis to confirm whether Seager’s season is over with 23 games remaining, though Bochy suggested that it might be.
“It’s good that we are taking care of it,” Bochy said. “Get this done so he can heal up over the winter and be ready for next spring.”
Young, Bochy, and Seager all indicated that the decision to place him on the IL was influenced by Seager missing nearly all of spring training due to surgery in January to repair a sports hernia.
When asked if he would return this season, Seager replied, “I hope so,” but emphasized his focus on the offseason.
“You can’t miss two offseasons,” Seager said. “You’ve got to be healthy and get back into the work and get back into shape. I didn’t really have any buildup last year coming into the season. It’s something that you need to have.”
The Rangers share this concern, noting Seager’s delayed offseason due to the hernia surgery, which kept him out of most of spring training.
“The season went so long for a great reason,” Young said. “Then, when Corey’s offseason training began, he started feeling discomfort. By that point, the timing was not ideal, though it wasn’t anyone’s fault—just the nature of the situation.”
Young emphasized that addressing any issues Seager is dealing with, diagnosing them, and creating a rehab plan is crucial to ensure he has a normal offseason.
With Texas 8 1/2 games behind the last AL wild card spot before their final game against New York, Seager’s absence will provide more playing time for Josh Smith at shortstop.
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