Texas Rangers Injury Report: Reigning World Series MVP Returns From Surgery
Since having offseason hernia surgery, Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager returned to the field for his first live batting practice session on Monday.
He chopped a ground ball against Rangers reliever Josh Sborz then drove one to the right-center gap that would have been a ground-rule double. He also took reps at shortstop.
According to Kennadi Landry of MLB.com, Seager has been taking swings in the cages for about a week. Last year’s World Series MVP finished runner-up in American League MVP Award voting and went on the injured list twice with a left hamstring strain and right thumb sprain.
Manager Bruce Bochy is anxious to have Seager back in the lineup but realizes that his recovery timetable might get him off to a slower start. He wants him to be comfortable in the box and on defense.
“It’s hard to say,” Bochy said. “That may be our experience with him, we’ve seen how fast he comes back, but at the same time now you’re looking at all winter without picking up a bat. So that’s a little bit different this time around because it does take time to build the swings up and everything. We’ll have to look at and evaluate after some at-bats and see where he’s at and how the bat feels. He’s got to be in a place where it’s comfortable.”
Bochy has experience with Seager returning from injuries and knows that the Rangers don’t have to push their shortstop to return earlier than he is ready. Seager also bounces back quickly. The Rangers are hopeful he will be ready to go by Opening Day but he hasn’t played in a Cactus League game yet.
“It’s going to be close whether he will get some action here or not,” Bochy said. “Now, I’ll say this with Corey. We saw this last year when he was out for five weeks and we were thinking [he’ll need a] rehab a game or two and he took some live BP and he was in the lineup the next day, so you never know with him.”
The Rangers have five games left in Arizona before a three-game exhibition series against the Boston Red Sox in Arlington before opening the regular season against the Chicago Cubs on March 28.
