Seager Rejoins Sputtering Rangers Lineup

The Texas Rangers got their star shortstop back Saturday—but not the result they were hoping for.

Corey Seager returned from the injured list after a 10-game absence caused by a strained right hamstring, a stretch that saw Texas drop eight of those contests and tumble below .500. The two-time World Series MVP didn’t skip a beat, going 1-for-4 with a run scored while serving as the designated hitter. But his return couldn’t stop the bleeding as the Rangers fell 2-1 to the AL West-leading Mariners in Seattle.

The Rangers officially activated Seager on Saturday morning, sending infielder Jonathan Ornelas back to Triple-A Round Rock in the corresponding move. It marked the end of a relatively brief IL stint for Seager, who had tweaked the hamstring running to first against the A’s on April 22. He’d been raking before the injury, hitting .370 over a 12-game stretch with three homers and 10 runs scored.

“I was just trying to be smart with it and make sure I could get back to doing what I need to do,” Seager told reporters earlier in the week.

Rangers’ Offensive Woes Continue Despite Seager’s Return

Even with Seager back in the lineup, Texas’ offense remained stuck in neutral. They’ve scored just 29 runs total during his 10-game absence—15 of them coming in one outburst against Oakland. Outside of that fluke showing, the Rangers have managed only 14 runs over their other nine games, including Saturday’s loss and Friday night’s 13-1 beatdown to open the series in Seattle.

The math paints a grim picture. Entering the weekend, the Rangers were dead last in the American League in runs scored with just 104 through 33 games. And Friday’s loss marked the first time the defending World Series champions dipped under the .500 mark since losing on Opening Day in Boston.

Seager, a five-time All-Star, had been hitting .286 with four homers and six RBIs at the time of his injury. He didn’t seem hampered in his return Saturday, but the Rangers’ overall performance offered little reason for celebration.

The Rangers will need more than just one man’s bat to climb out of their current funk. They’ll need their offense to wake up—and fast—before the AL West slips out of reach.

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