FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager hit a solo homer and made a nifty defensive play in a rehab appearance for Double-A Frisco on Tuesday night after being sidelined all this month because of lower back inflammation.
Seager is on the injured list for the third time this season, and has missed 52 games for Texas — one more than he has played for the AL West-leading Rangers. They are 24-28 without the two-time World Series MVP.
Seager went 1 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout against Corpus Christi, homering in the fifth before being replaced in the field after that inning. The top of the third ended when the shortstop made a backhanded stop in the hole and made a strong throw to first for the out.
His last game had been June 30 at Toronto, when he was removed in the first inning because of back discomfort. The rehab appearance came after Seager took live batting practice the previous two days before Rangers home games.
It wasn't immediately clear when he would rejoin the big league club.
There are also questions about whether Texas might consider trading the 32-year-old shortstop, who is in the fifth season of a $325 million, 10-year contract. The trade deadline is Monday.
Seager has hit .182 with 10 homers and 25 RBIs in 51 games for the Rangers. He has missed 21 games since going on the injured list again July 1 because of lower back inflammation, the same reason he was out 19 games for another IL stint from May 15-June 4.
He also missed 12 games on the concussion list from June 12-24 after a home-plate collision with Kansas City catcher Carter Jensen.
Seager started 42 of the Rangers' first 43 games. When he went on the IL the first time, he was hitless in seven consecutive games and mired in an 0-for-27 slump, both the worst streaks in his 12 big league seasons.
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