SS Corey Seager out of Texas lineup again since getting hit on wrist, 3B Josh Jung’s rehab stalled

AP Baseball Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager was out of the lineup for the second straight game Tuesday night since getting hit by a pitch on his left wrist.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Seager took some swings before the series opener at home against San Diego, and was doing better since getting hit Saturday night. The shortstop went to the ground before getting up and walking off the field after getting struck on a check swing in Baltimore.

Initial X-rays revealed no broken bone, and that was confirmed by an MRI on Monday after the Rangers got home from the trip.

While the Rangers hope to get Seager back soon, third baseman Josh Jung hasn’t swung a bat since his last rehabilitation game June 20. He is coming back from a fractured right wrist that occurred when he was hit by a pitch in the fourth game of the season on April 1. He had surgery the next day.

Jung has been dealing with inflammation and soreness in the tendon of his wrist after 17 at-bats in four rehab games.

“Just trying to get this thing to calm down. That’s really all we’re doing,” Jung said Tuesday in the Rangers clubhouse.

Outfielder Evan Carter, who has missed 31 games with a lumbar sprain, has been taking some swings at the team’s complex in Arizona, and Bochy said he should be facing live pitching within a few days. Carter is still considered a rookie even after his debut at the end of last season and his standout play through the playoffs as the Rangers won the World Series.

Right-hander Tyler Mahle pitched two scoreless innings for Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday night in his first rehab start since he had Tommy John surgery in May 2023. He threw 12 of his 19 pitches for strikes against Sugar Land, allowing one hit with one strikeout and no walks.

The Rangers signed Mahle to a $22 million, two-year contract during the winter, knowing he would be out for much of this season. If all goes well, he could join the team in early August.

Jung was voted by fans as the American League starter in last year’s All-Star Game when he was a rookie. He said he is trying to keep his legs fresh and in shape. He does some stuff in the batting cage trying to see pitches and can go through some fielding work without throwing the ball.

“Not a whole lot baseball activity-wise,” he said. “I try to do everything I can to stay as ready as I can. … I’m not really able to do a whole lot right night, so just do everything I can to stay ready in my mind.”

Bochy said Jung had a significant injury, and the manager expressed that he’s “not surprised there’s been a hiccup or two along the way.”

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