'Gifted' Corey Seager Makes Texas Rangers Return Look Easy

Corey Seager nearly batted .500 for his first four games since returning from the injured list for the Texas Rangers.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Hitting a baseball isn’t easy. So why is Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager making it look so simple less than a week coming off the injured list?

It’s a gift.

“That’s all that is — how gifted this guy is at hitting a baseball,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “He didn’t get a lot of at-bats in rehab and then he was down three days. Sure he was pretty washed out and then he comes out and he’s just squaring up balls everywhere. That’s just a gift. We all wish we had that.”

Seager wrapped up his return with a 3-for-5 performance against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, a 13-3 victory that improved the Rangers to 29-17 this season. That included a home run and three RBI.

Seager homered in each of the last two games of the Colorado series, as Texas ranked up 24 runs in those two wins. The Rangers also swept the series. 

“This lineup is really good,” Seager said. “Hitting is contagious and everyone wants to pass the baton and keep it moving and that’s all we’re trying to do.”

It was his fourth game back in the lineup since he was activated from the injured list on Wednesday after missing 31 games with a left hamstring strain. During that time the Rangers went 19-12 and maintained a lead in the American League West.

Seager played two games at shortstop and two as the designated hitter in four games, going 7-for-16 with two home runs, three doubles and eight RBI in four games. Even in the game in which he failed to get a hit — against Atlanta on Wednesday — he drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. He finished the four games with a 1.231 slugging percentage.

Seager got just eight at-bats in during his rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco, going 2-for-8. He had one other plate appearance that led to a walk.

Seager admitted he’s not much for rehab stints. But then again he’s only had a couple of stints on the injured list.

“I mean, it’s nice to see pitching but, no, not really (productive),” Seager said earlier in the homestand.

Maybe he just doesn’t need them. But he did need to get rid of a stomach bug that probably delayed his official return by a day or two.

After getting in an 0-for-3 game against Atlanta and then an off-day on Thursday, Seager’s bat started to cook, including a 3-for-4 game against Colorado on Saturday that included his second home run of the season. In addition to that shot to dead center field, he also doubled and scored two runs.

Marcus Semien said the home run, especially, was great to see and a clear signal that Seager is back to where he was before the injury.

“He was swinging the bat well before he got hurt,” Semien said. “We all know he works extremely hard at his craft and he’s come back and he looks like the same guy, which is really exciting for us.”

Before the injured list stint Seager was batting .359. As the Rangers hit the road, Seager is batting .382.

Yep, he’s back. The way Seager is hitting you would have never known he was gone.

The Rangers open up a nine-game road trip Monday night at the Pittsburgh Pirates with Dane Dunning (4-0, 1.69) on the hill. Luis Ortiz (0-2, 5.63) starts for the Pirates, with first pitch scheduled for 5:35 p.m. CT.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

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