Texas Rangers star shortstop Corey Seager will undergo sports hernia surgery on Friday and miss the rest of the season, general manager Chris Young said Thursday.
Seager hasn’t played since Sept. 2 and his injury was noted as right hip discomfort when he went on the 10-day injured list two days later.
Young said having the right hernia surgery now gives Seager the best chance to recover fully by spring training. The Rangers (70-76) have fallen out of the American League wild-card chase.
“Obviously a tough decision,” Young said Thursday prior to the Rangers’ road game against the Seattle Mariners. “But with where we are at this point in the season, it felt like it was the prudent decision in order for him to have a full recovery, have a strong offseason and be ready for spring training.
“Obviously I feel for Corey, but he’s had a tremendous year, been a great leader in the clubhouse and on the field for us. His performance has been amazing, and we’re looking forward to getting him back healthy next year.”
According to reports, Seager met with Phoenix-based surgeon Dr. Venkata Evani earlier this week. Evani performed left hernia surgery on Seager in January and Seager missed most of spring training while recovering.
“He recovered great from the first surgery, and I’m confident he’ll do everything he can to recover great from the second one,” Young said.
Seager won World Series MVP honors last season when the Rangers won their first title.
This season, the five-time All-Star batted .278 with 30 homers and 74 RBIs in 123 games. He has hit at least 30 homers in all three of his seasons with the Rangers. His last homer of this season, on Aug. 29, was the 200th of his career.
Seager spent the first six-plus seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was named World Series MVP in 2020 when the Dodgers won the crown.