Josh Smith Rangers Send Corey Seager to Back Specialist
josh smith rangers is dealing with another Corey Seager absence, and Texas has sent its shortstop to see the club’s back specialist while waiting on MRI results. Seager sat out all three games of the weekend series against the Astros after last suiting up Wednesday.
That leaves the Rangers without one of their most important hitters at a point when he had already played in 42 of their 43 games before the back issue surfaced. The team has not had him available since Wednesday, and the evaluation now shifts from missed games to a medical check that could shape the next stretch.
Seager’s Weekend Absence
Seager’s missed time was not limited to one game. He was sidelined for the entire three-game set against Houston, which is the clearest sign the back problem had pushed beyond a short-term rest day.
His line before the injury issue adds more weight to the pause. He was slashing.179/.286/.353 across 182 plate appearances, had gone 0-for-27 during a slump, and carried an 80 wRC+.
Duran at Shortstop
Ezequiel Duran filled in at shortstop while Seager was out. He was producing.270/.339/.441 with three home runs and four steals, giving Texas a workable stopgap in the middle of the infield.
The defensive side has also shaped the decision-making around the position. Duran had logged +5 Outs Above Average over 525 2/3 innings, while Cameron Cauley brought 82 wRC+ at Triple-A Round Rock and had at least seven starts at four different positions, including shortstop.
Texas Awaits MRI Results
The bigger issue now is the medical timeline around Seager himself. Texas is still waiting on MRI results, and the move to the back specialist comes while the club weighs how to handle a player it signed to a 10-year, $325MM deal heading into the 2022 season.
Seager’s recent injury history gives the Rangers a wider concern than one missed weekend. He finished second in MVP voting and won World Series MVP honors in 2023, but he has also dealt with thumb, sports hernia, hamstring, and appendectomy-related absences, making this latest back problem another interruption for a player the Rangers have counted on heavily.
