Corey Seager took live batting practice Sunday for the first time since the Texas Rangers shortstop was sidelined by a back injury for the second time this season on July 1. The session ended with a home run, and Seager was planning to take live BP again Monday before what would appear to be a minor league rehab assignment. The machinery of pro baseball keeps moving, even when the body at the center of it keeps breaking down.
Seager, a two-time World Series MVP, has been limited to 51 games in what has been the worst season of his career. He is hitting .182 with 10 home runs and 25 RBIs. That’s the ledger the club gets to keep. The player absorbs the wear, the numbers get filed away, and the Rangers keep talking about the next step.
Who Pays for the Grind
Seager was removed from a game at Toronto in the first inning on June 30 because of back discomfort. He had already spent two more weeks on the injured list in June after getting a concussion. Before that, he played two games in the minors in early June while returning from a three-week absence because of lower back inflammation. The calendar reads like a punishment schedule. One injury, then another, then another attempt to force the body back into the lineup.
He was in an 0-for-27 slide, the worst of his career, when the back injury hit the first time. After returning from the concussion, Seager played in three games before his back flared up again. He said, “I would love to tell you yes, but backs are not what you want.” The quote lands plainly. No spin. No rescue from the club’s optimism.
What the Club Calls Recovery
Manager Skip Schumaker said of a possible rehab stint, “It’s just tough to mimic some in-game stuff. It’s always up to the player. Because he missed so much time, we’re going to discuss it. Looked like today was really good. See what it feels like tomorrow, and then we’ll discuss the rehab assignment.” That’s the language of institutional caution, wrapped around a player who’s already been through repeated absences this season.
The Rangers are also hopeful for the return soon of a pair of left-handers who haven’t pitched in the big leagues since 2024. Jordan Montgomery underwent the second elbow reconstruction surgery of his career last year when he was with Arizona. He joined the Diamondbacks after playing a key role for the Rangers when they won the World Series in 2023. Montgomery rejoined the Rangers on a one-year contract this year. Cody Bradford had elbow surgery in June 2025, made 34 appearances in 21 starts over his first two big league seasons with the Rangers, and was shut down during spring training last year. Bradford also had a strong showing in the World Series when he was a rookie.
The Body as Inventory
Seager is almost certain to play his fewest games since joining the Rangers in 2022. That’s the cost of a season built around constant medical updates and the hope that the next session, the next rehab assignment, the next return, will hold. The club can only keep asking the same body to do more with less. The player keeps paying the price.
The Rangers’ hopes now stretch beyond Seager to Montgomery and Bradford, both of whom carry their own injury histories and recovery timelines. The team’s public language stays measured. The reality underneath it is harsher: a roster shaped by absences, surgeries, and the endless attempt to patch over what’s already been worn down.