The guards are sending Corey Seager to see the club’s backcourt expert, via Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports. The shortstop was sidelined for all three games of the weekend series against the Astros. The team is still awaiting the results of the MRI.
Seager hasn’t been fit since Wednesday. He appeared in 42 of the Rangers’ 43 games before the back issue arose. The 32-year-old is currently engaged in her worst campaign to date. He is currently stuck in a 0 to 27 fall. Seager is slashing .179/.286/.353 in 182 plate appearances. His wRC+ of 80 is his worst mark as a major leaguer by a significant margin.
It is not clear how long Seager has been dealing with this injury. His Statcast metrics certainly don’t live up to his lofty standards. Seager has a 45.4% strikeout rate this year, which is still an above-average mark, but a few ticks below his career mark. It’s also after his recent job with Texas. Seager has posted a field goal percentage of over 50% in each of the past three campaigns. His barrel rate remains strong this year, but his average exit velocity is down nearly 2 mph compared to 2025.
Seager is also struggling to connect like never before. He has a career high of 27.5%. It’s the first time he’s hit over 20% since 2017 with the Dodgers. Seager’s 16.2% swing-strike rate is a career-worst. His 68.0% contact rate is the 12th lowest mark among professional hitters.
Texas signed Seager to a massive 10-year, $300MM deal through the 2022 season. He was incredibly productive with the team, including a runner-up MVP finish in 2023. He also earned World Series MVP honors that year. Seager has a wRC+ of 138 or better in each of the last three campaigns.
Similar to his time in LA, injuries continue to plague Seager. After playing 151 games in 2022, he missed a sixth season, sports hernia, and hamstring problems the last few years. An appendectomy also cost Seager most of September last season. Although it is difficult to catch the latter, soft tissue injuries are common.
Ezequiel Duran stepped in at shortstop this year with Seager out. The user starts right on the plate. Duran is hitting .270/.339/.441 with three home runs and four steals. The multi-tasking veteran has spent time at every infield position except first base, as well as both outfield positions. Duran has been a decent center fielder in his career. He posted a +5 Outs Above Average across 525 2/3 innings at shortstop. Duran has a -2 Defensive Runs Saved position, which would still be passable, at least temporarily.
A Seager injury can usually result in a Sebastian Walcott mentioned, but the top prospect will miss most of the year after undergoing an elbow repair procedure. Cameron Cauley borderline top 10 hope in the organization. He has hit the diamond this year in Triple-A, making at least seven starts at four different positions, including shortstop. While the glove may work, Cauley struggled with an 82 wRC+ in Round Rock.
Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images
