Texas Rangers All-Star shortstop Corey Seager was not in the starting lineup Saturday against the Houston Astros after waking up with back spasms, the report says. Seager also did not play Friday night in a 2-0 loss to the Astros, though manager Skip Schumaker said that was a scheduled off day and that Saturday morning was the first time Seager had experienced any back issues.
Schumaker said he was hopeful Seager will be able to play Sunday in the series finale. “He wanted to see if he could loosen up when he got here,” Schumaker said, according to the report.
The manager added that Seager “just didn’t loosen up, so just wanted to play it smart and not push him,” the report says. Schumaker framed the decision as a precaution based on how Seager felt upon arrival at the ballpark.
The report notes Seager is in a career-worst 0 for 27 slump and that the 32-year-old is batting .179 with seven homers and 19 RBI in 42 games this season. Those numbers underline the significance of any missed playing time while he looks to break out of the slide.
Schumaker indicated the team planned to monitor Seager’s status ahead of the series finale, per the report. The Rangers will assess his condition before the club determines whether he will return to the lineup Sunday.
