Today: As expected, the Rangers have transferred Seager to the 60-day IL, making room for deGrom on the 40-man roster and formally ending Seager’s 2024 season.
Sept 12: Corey Seager will undergo season-ending sports hernia surgery tomorrow, Rangers GM Chris Young told reporters (link via Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News). The five-time All-Star was placed on the 10-day injured list last week with what the team initially announced as hip discomfort. Texas could move him to the 60-day IL in a procedural move to activate Jacob deGrom tomorrow.
It’s the second sports hernia surgery of the year for Seager. He underwent the same procedure in January, albeit with an important distinction. Seager’s previous hernia was on his left groin; Grant writes that tomorrow’s procedure will address the right side. The injury is not expected to impact the shortstop’s readiness for Spring Training.
Seager suffered his previous hernia injury during last year’s postseason. He attempted to rehab without surgery but went under the knife a couple months later when the initial treatment plan was unsuccessful. That set him back during Spring Training but did not require a season-opening injured list stint. He’ll hope for a similarly swift recovery this time around so as not to have much of an impact of his offseason.
It’s a sour end to another excellent season for Seager. He popped 30 homers with a .278/.353/.512 batting line over 533 plate appearances. He started the year slowly, likely in part because of his limited ramp-up after January’s surgery. He has been one of the best players in the league since the start of May, raking at a .290/.362/.569 clip with 28 of his home runs. By measure of wRC+, Seager has been one of the ten best qualified hitters since May 1.
While this was a step back from last year’s MVP runner-up showing, Seager’s first few seasons in Arlington couldn’t have gone much better. He has been an All-Star in all three years as a Ranger. He has reached 30 homers in each. Texas disappointed this season, but Seager was obviously the best player on last year’s World Series winner. He’ll make $32MM next season before receiving $31MM annual salaries for the final six years of his $325MM free agent contract.
Josh Smith has taken over as the primary shortstop in Seager’s absence. He’ll presumably get the majority of the playing time there in the final couple weeks of the season. Smith was a rare bright spot in the Ranger lineup earlier in the year. He stepped in at third base when Josh Jung was out and was arguably the team’s second-best player behind Seager. Smith’s production has dropped off sharply in the second half, though he still carries an impressive .265/.350/.407 slash in 134 games overall.
Man he’s always hurt ! He could be a top 5 player in the sport if he’d stay healthy
He’s not always hurt. He still gets in the majority of games and has 500+ at-bats. If the Rangers were in the hunt, he’d postpone the procedure til after the postseason.
Have you tried swinging a bat with your intestines constantly falling thru your abdominal wall and then being squeezed? Yea, I’m sure he would have postponed it lol.
And the /u/Big_whiffa is not wrong. Seager is always hurt.
True! IF you don’t comprehend the complex meaning of “always.”
But his frame makes it a long shot for him to stay healthy long term playing SS. 1B or DH is in his future-maybe 3B but they have Jung and Seager’s arm health .would be a concern at 3B
There is a reason (other than Boras) for why the LAD did not sign their best all around position player prospect since Beltre to that mega deal.
2018 he had TJ surgery out for season
2019 missed a month with left hamstring
2021, HBP, broken hand, out for season
2023, left hamstring again, then right thumb
2024 2x sport hernia surgeries.
Except for the TJ surgery, he has played 95+ games in every season, so while he is always hurt, he does play.
@corrosive-He’s played roughly 60% of the games during his mlb career. Hall of fame talent, but yes..he gets hurt A LOT.
@Enigma313,
I hate when that happens!
@Ron He’s played in roughly 75% of games since being in MLB.
Not sure how you come up with roughly 60%. Even if you forgot 2020 was shortened and did not factor in him being called up late in first season it’s just about 65%.
“Still gets in the majority..500+ at-bats”…I mostly agree, but Seegar will not reach 500 ABs this year. With his season over after today’s news, Corey Seagar will end this season with exactly 475 at-bats.
He’s at 533 pa’s, that’s enough to qualify for a batting title. He’s missed the magical 502 twice in his 10 year career.
“That’s enough to qualify”. Good point and overall, Corey Seagar is a phenomenal, excellent player.
He really is… but he does have trouble staying healthy for a “full” season (145+ games)
So does 90% of the league. I’ll bet every team is lucky to have one player reach that
If it was the NBA, they would have sat Seager by now even if uninjured
Dudes a stud n shows up in big moments. Friedman’s said that of all the players they let go of Seager was the one he regretted most. Like in hindsight he would tried to re-sign em. I had sports hernia, once it gets bad, it does pop in n out of torn hole. It can put u on the ground it’s so painful. Surgery really suks too, so sore u can’t get up n wince like baby w/slightest movement. Bummer he’s had 2.
Oof
Pitchers and surgeons should keep those balls inside.
Do only athletes get sports hernias? If he was, say, a pediatrician, would it be a doctors hernia?
Also, is it just me or does it seem like a long road from “hip discomfort” to “sports hernia”?
They’re related as they share interconnected tissues.
Obese people are slightly more likely to get athlete’s foot.
People get tennis elbow without playing tennis.
To quote George Carlin, “Why do you park in a driveway and drive in a parkway?”
Living with a hernia
Hurts me bad in a tender location
Living with a hernia
Had enough humiliation
Living with a hernia
Got to have an operation
I agree he isn’t always hurt. Compared to Trout and Rendon he is like an iron man nowadays but still gets hurt from time to time.