Corey Seager’s 2026 numbers now come with an added layer of explanation.
Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said Monday at the club’s end-of-season press conference that Seager had been playing through a bone spur in his elbow. The issue had apparently been bothering him for the last few months, and while the treatment plan is still being sorted out, minor surgery has not been ruled out.
Young also said that even if surgery is needed, Seager should be able to make a full recovery by spring training.
That revelation gives even more context to a season that never really settled into a rhythm for Texas’ star shortstop. Seager finished 2026 with a .227 batting average, 20 home runs, 51 RBI and a .736 OPS in 102 games. For a player the Rangers expect to anchor the lineup, those numbers landed well below his standard.
Health was the bigger issue than production. Seager spent time on the injured list three different times.
The first came in May because of lower back inflammation, costing him 19 games. In June, he suffered a concussion after colliding with Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen and missed 12 more.
Then his back acted up again, sending him to the IL for a third stint and sidelining him for another 23 games. He didn’t get back on the MLB field until July 31.
Even so, the back half of the season showed why the Rangers still lean so heavily on him. After the All-Star break, Seager hit .269 with an .804 OPS, a sharp jump from the .182 average and .666 OPS he posted before it. August brought a .284 batting average and a .376 on-base percentage, and he finished September with seven home runs.
The latest injury news only reinforces how difficult the year was. Seager played 102 games in 2026, and he played 102 in 2025 as well. Availability remains the real question for Texas, especially with the club now staring at three straight seasons without a postseason berth since winning the 2023 World Series.
Young’s update suggests the elbow problem is expected to be manageable. The Rangers, though, need more than a manageable fix. They need Seager on the field, and they need him there for most of 2027.
In Other News...
Rangers Face Tough 2027 Calls As Key Free Agent Replacements Loom
The Rangers are already looking beyond the immediate season, with president of baseball operations Chris Young signaling that the club is weighing a roster refresh aimed at making the team younger, faster and more versatile by 2027. In that kind of planning, nothing is off the table, including trimming payroll or exploring trades, which gives the front office a wide range of ways to shape the next version of the roster.
Chris Youngs comments also put a spotlight on the next round of replacement decisions, because several familiar spots could be in flux as free agency approaches. Texas is sorting through possible answers from prospects and recent additions, trying to identify who can step in and handle key roles if the current group moves on, and those evaluations will go a long way toward determining how aggressive the Rangers can be when the roster starts to turn over. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Have A Tough Wyatt Langford Decision Before His Price Jumps
Wyatt Langfords uneven 2026 season has only sharpened the question facing the Rangers: whether to lock up a young outfielder now, while his price is still manageable, or wait and pay more later if the bat settles in the way the organization believes it can. His first half showed the upside that made him such an important piece of the future, but the second half was less encouraging, and injuries have kept him from putting together a full season so far.
Even with that volatility, Langford still brings a career wRC+ of 115 and solid defensive metrics, which is why the extension conversation is so tricky. Texas has to weigh the benefit of buying out some of his arbitration years against the risk of committing before it knows exactly what kind of hitter he will be over time, especially with the possibility that his value could rise quickly if he puts everything together. [Read more 🡒]
How Jacob Latz Became The Rangers Most Trusted Arm
Jacob Latz did not open the 2026 season as the Texas Rangers closer, but by the end of May he had worked his way into the job and never really let go. What followed was the kind of steady rise that can reshape a bullpen: Latz handled late innings with the kind of confidence the Rangers needed, and he was often asked to cover two innings at a time as the club leaned on him to finish games.
By seasons end, Latz had become the Rangers most trusted arm, piling up 30 saves while posting a 2.13 ERA and a 3-4 record. His emergence was a major part of Texas season and made him the teams lone All-Star representative, a fitting nod for a pitcher who turned an early-season opportunity into a defining role. [Read more 🡒]