DETROIT — For the second time in a week, the Texas Rangers will be without their best hitter.
All-Star shortstop Corey Seager did not play in Monday's 1-0 win over the Detroit Tigers because manager Bruce Bochy had scheduled him off. So did designated hitter/left fielder Wyatt Langford, who played in 15 of the Rangers' first 16 games. Travis Jankowski made his second career start at designated hitter, Josh Smith started at shortstop and Ezequiel Duran started at third base.
Seager, who missed nearly all of spring training while rehabbing off-season sports hernia repair surgery, will have three days off his schedule throughout the Rangers' first 17 games. The 29-year-old played in Game 3 of the season opener against the Chicago Cubs (before a three-game series in Tampa Bay) and in Tuesday's series opener against the Oakland Athletics after four games. Series with the Houston Astros.
The Rangers are in the midst of 17 games in 17 days, wrapping up a three-game series against the Astros on Sunday, followed by Monday night's game against the Tigers, followed by a day game on Tuesday.
“I talked to him a few days ago and if we get him through the Houston series, he'll get his first day off here,” Bochy said. “Tomorrow is a day game, so he was going to take one out.”
Seager's scheduled rest days are just as important to his current game window as they are to maintaining his long-term availability throughout the year. Last year, he missed 43 regular season games due to a hamstring strain and thumb sprain, and although he overcame the injury and played admirably in the postseason last year, he started just three games in the pre-season exhibition games this spring. was.
“It's true that he missed spring training,” Bochy said. “He's a little bit behind when it comes to spring training and conditioning and everything. If you push yourself too hard, you risk injury.”
The Rangers offense scuffled against Tigers starter Reece Olson on Monday. Heim scored the only point on Marcus Semien's grounder with the bases loaded.
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