Corey Seager injured in Dodgers’ win over Giants
LOS ANGELES — Corey Seager was healthy.
That’s it. That was the secret behind his success early in this unprecedented season. Behind all those squared balls off his bat. Behind his improved mobility at shortstop. Sure, he was stronger, but he returned to his peak — maybe even established a new one — because, above all, he was healthy.
“It’s a body confidence thing,” he said in a videoconference call with reporters before the Dodgers’ 7-2 win over the San Francisco Giants (6-9) on Friday. “Just feeling better, feeling stronger. Being able to make moves that I want to be able to make.”
Seager began Friday having hit balls harder than any player in the major leagues this season. He was first in total barreled balls, first in barreled ball percentage, first in hard-hit swing percentage, and first in total hard-hit balls in play with 28 — seven more than anyone else.
By those metrics, Seager has been the best hitter in the majors. And now he’s hurt again.
Seager exited Friday’s game in the third inning immediately after moving to his left on a groundball to the second baseman. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the Dodgers broadcast Seager sustained the injury diving for a ball earlier in the previous inning. The Dodgers (10-4) announced he left with “low back discomfort.”
“I just didn’t see him move well in between that inning,” Roberts said. “So, wanted to get him out there, get him out of the game.”
It’s the latest setback for Seager after appearing to have overcome the Tommy John and hip surgeries that sidelined him for most of the 2018 season.
The first evidence that Seager had regained his form surfaced in spring training in February. Teammates and coaches noticed. He looked the part for periods in 2019 but needed time to discover his groove and he couldn’t sustain it for long stretches.
After continuously working in Los Angeles through Major League Baseball’s shutdown, he was mashing baseballs during the Dodgers’ truncated threeweek training camp.
The pattern continued once the games mattered. The 26-year-old shortstop began Friday batting .347 with three home runs and four doubles in 13 games despite dealing with a quad issue that forced him to miss a game and move to designated hitter for two. Even his outs were loud.
Beyond health, Roberts attributed Seager’s performance to maturation. He’s accepted pleas from the organization to avoid overworking and letting hitting consume him.