The Texas Rangers placed shortstop Corey Seager on the 10-day injured list Wednesday as he copes with the recurrence of lower back inflammation.
It’s the third trip to the IL this season for Seager. He missed 19 games from May 15-June 4 with the back issue, and a concussion kept him out of 12 games from June 12-24.
Seager, 32, last played Sunday in a 3-2 win at Toronto, and he has missed the first two contests of a three-game road series against the Cleveland Guardians. The Rangers came out on top in both games, and their current six-game winning streak has allowed them to surge into first place in the American League West.
In a corresponding move, the Rangers recalled infielder Josh Smith from Triple-A Round Rock.
Seager, a five-time All-Star and a two-time World Series MVP, has been unable to get into a groove this season.
A career .284 hitter, Seager is batting just .182 (34-for-187) with 10 home runs and 25 RBIs in 51 games this season. He has hit more than 20 home runs in a season six times in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2015-21) and Rangers.
Smith, 28, has appeared in 34 games for the Rangers this season. He is hitting .218 (22-for-101) with three doubles and six RBIs.
