LOS ANGELES — Corey Seager walked back into Dodger Stadium on Tuesday with another World Series title to his credit, and if there was not a spring in his step, it was only because of his current bout with hamstring soreness.
Once synonymous, Seager and the Dodgers are no more after seven wildly productive seasons and a World Series title in 2020.
If his transition between organizations in the winter of 2021 was difficult, Seager said he couldn’t recall those emotions. He didn’t seem willing to talk about it even if he did.
“That was a long time ago (and) I can’t really remember how it went,” Seager said. “I’m sorry to … I don’t want to go down that path.”
Looking back is a tricky endeavor. Even if Seager was willing to admit he missed an aspect of his Los Angeles days, he wasn’t about to let that concept be misinterpreted.
By guiding the Texas Rangers to a World Series championship – and his second World Series MVP in four seasons – his decision to relocate to the Dallas area was, by all accounts, a sound one.
“I don’t know if you ever thought it would be that fast, you know, it just kind of clicked at the right time, got hot in the playoffs and it turns into that,” Seager said of the vision Rangers general manager Chris Young had when he signed his 10-year, $325 million contract.
“But that was his plan to always move forward, so power to him to be able to see that and get the right people in and have it actually click.”
Seager was not in the Rangers’ lineup on Tuesday, missing his fourth consecutive game with a left hamstring strain. He was not sure if he would play at all in the series.
While it is the first time Seager, 30, has set foot inside of Dodger Stadium with his Rangers teammates, he did have a plate appearance during the 2022 All-Star Game in his former ballpark, where he was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2016, a two-time All-Star and a twice finished in the top 10 in NL MVP voting.
“This organization kind of raised me, (I was) drafted here, kind of made me the man I am today,” Seager said. “They taught me the game of baseball, made a lot of friends, had a lot of good times out there. So all of those memories kind of flashed back.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recalled Seager as a “superstar, just a heady baseball player, great competitor and performed really well on the biggest of stages. A very good Dodger.”
Three seasons later, the Dodgers are still looking for their permanent answer at shortstop. Trea Turner held the job for one season, Miguel Rojas took it over last season when Gavin Lux was injured and Mookie Betts has it now after Lux’s defensive issues in the spring.
Seager, who received a generous ovation when he was welcomed back before the game and stepped out of the dugout to wave to the crowd, has taken note of Betts’ move to shortstop from afar and has the utmost respect for his former teammate.
“I haven’t been able to watch a game, but (Betts) is a special player,” Seager said. “Everybody knows that he’s a special athlete who can play all over the place at such a high level and still be able to compete at that spot, it’s been impressive.”
ONE MORE WEEK
Dodgers right-hander Bobby Miller said he expects his rehab outing for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday to be his last one before returning to the major league rotation. He has been out since April 10 with right shoulder inflammation.
“My goals are really to get as deep into (this) game as I possibly can, run my pitch count up high but not too high too early,” Miller said. “Just show that I can take a team deep into the game, give the team a chance to win and not tax the bullpen at all.”
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Miller was expected to play a key role in this season’s rotation with his 100 mph fastball. He had 11 strikeouts in his season debut against the St. Louis Cardinals but threw just 5⅔ innings over his next two starts before going on the IL.
“It’s been really tough, especially when I first went down,” Miller said. “I thought it was going to be missing a couple of starts. It turns out it was a lot more than I thought. It was tough mentally to sit down and watch the team. I’d much rather be out there helping the team win.”
ALSO
Third baseman Max Muncy (oblique) still has not swung a bat during his rehab process, with Roberts saying there remains no timetable for a return. … Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) is set to pitch in a simulated game Thursday at Dodger Stadium. … Right-hander Ryan Brasier (calf) threw a bullpen on Tuesday but there remains no timetable for a return. … With Kiké Hernandez batting .190 over his past 19 games as the primary replacement at third base, Rojas received his seventh start at third in the series opener against the Rangers.
UP NEXT
Rangers (TBD) at Dodgers (RHP Walker Buehler, 1-3, 4.82 ERA), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM