Rangers fans have reason to breathe a little easier: Corey Seager looks like Corey Seager again.
For much of the summer, that wasn’t the case. The Texas Rangers shortstop battled through three injuries, missed most of the first half, and when he was on the field, the production simply wasn’t there. For a player used to carrying a lineup and delivering like a two-time World Series MVP, the numbers were well below the standard.
But over the last six weeks, Seager has turned things around in a big way. He’s back in the No. 2 spot in Skip Schumaker’s batting order and once again looks like the lineup anchor Texas needs. Since July 31, Seager is slashing .294/.366/.503 with eight homers over 183 plate appearances, good for an OPS of .869.
That surge matters now more than ever. The Rangers are battling down the stretch for the AL West and also trying to stay alive in the wild-card race, and Seager’s bat is central to both pursuits.
His rebound has also arrived at a useful time because the roster around him has been in flux. Joc Pederson has been dealing with a broken bone in his hand after being hit by a pitch over a week ago, while Brandon Nimmo has gone cold and has been striking out a lot over the last week. With Pederson sidelined, Schumaker can afford to use Seager at designated hitter on occasion and give him some much-needed rest.
That flexibility matters, especially with the postseason picture still in play. Ezequiel Duran, Nicky Lopez, and Justin Foscue give the Rangers enough coverage at shortstop to help keep Seager’s legs fresh.
Seager’s strong stretch has also changed the conversation around his longer-term value. Before he caught fire in August and September, his numbers had sunk to .182/.292/.374, and there was plenty of noise about moving him at the deadline. Now, he’s sitting at a more familiar 3.2 bWAR with 18 homers and 47 RBI.
The Rangers tend to go as Seager goes, and he’s answered for Chris Young and the organization over the past month and a half. With one week left in the regular season, Texas will be hoping he keeps driving the club toward a playoff berth.
In Other News...
Rangers Rotation Just Took A Brutal Hit At The Worst Time
The Rangers rotation depth took another hard punch late in the season when they placed Cal Quantrill on the 15-day injured list with a right lat strain. The move makes him unavailable for the final week of the regular season and the AL wild-card playoffs, a rough development for a club already trying to steady itself heading into October.
Winston Santos was called up from Triple-A to help cover the bullpen in Quantrills absence, but the bigger concern is what this means for Texas if it manages to keep playing. Quantrill could still be eligible for the AL Division Series if he recovers in time and the Rangers advance, leaving the team to hope this latest setback is only temporary. [Read more 🡒]
MacKenzie Gores Next Rangers Start Just Raised A Bigger Rotation Question
MacKenzie Gore is set to take the ball Tuesday night against the Mets in the opener of the series, and with it comes a little more clarity for a Rangers rotation that has spent enough time in flux to make every turn feel meaningful. The left-hander will be making his 33rd start of the season, the most by a Rangers pitcher since 2019, a reminder of how much the club has leaned on him while trying to navigate the stretch run.
For now, Texas is keeping the rotation order intact, but the bigger picture still hangs on the roles of Nathan Eovaldi and Cal Quantrill. Whether those two stay in place or force a reshuffle will shape how the Rangers line up beyond this week, which makes Gores next outing about more than just one start. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Face A High-Stakes Rotation Call With The Division On Line
With six games left and a one-game edge over the Astros, the Rangers are in the part of the season where every pitching decision feels heavier than it should. The final rotation plan has to account for rest, injuries and the chance to lock up a playoff berth before the regular season ends, which makes even a routine turn through the staff a little more complicated than usual.
MacKenzie Gore is lined up to start, while Tyler Alexander could be used as an opener, giving Texas a mix-and-match approach as it tries to protect arms and stay positioned for the finish. If the division gets clinched early, the calculus changes again, and the Rangers could adjust on the fly with the postseason ahead and the margin for error already gone. [Read more 🡒]