Thursday newsletter time: Rangers routed hours after Corey Seager lands on IL

Jeff Wilson April 13, 2023

(AP photo/LM Otero)

As Corey Seager started to hobble Tuesday night, the question wasn’t so much if he would miss time, but how much time.

The Rangers received their answer Wednesday.

Their All-Star shortstop will miss at least four weeks after an MRI showed a Grade 2 strain of the left hamstring. He went on the 10-day injured list, and the Rangers activated Leody Taveras from the IL to take his spot on the active roster.

There is no way replace Seager, who hit 33 home runs last season in what was an off-year for him. He has one so far this season, and the double he pulled up lame on raised his average to .357.

The Rangers have to play someone there, and Josh Smith will get the first crack at it. He started Wednesday in the series finale against the Royals and took over the second spot in the lineup. He and Taveras both went 0 for 3 with a combined five strikeouts.

Kansas City avoided a three-game sweep with a 10-1 victory, scoring six times in five innings against right-hander Nathan Eovaldi. He struck out seven and didn’t issue any walks, but he also made some iffy pitches while ahead in the count and was unable to put away more batters.

It wasn’t a stuff issue, as the strikeouts would suggest. It was command.

“I just starting rushing,” he said. “I don’t know why. I felt like I had to be quick on every pitch. I didn’t do a good enough job of executing my pitches when I needed to.”

Nate Lowe provided the Rangers’ lone run with a first-inning home run.

The Royals scored the next 10.

And that was that.

More to watch in minors

Right-handers Kumar Rocker and Ryan Garcia pitched well Tuesday in their 2023 debuts. Two more right-handed prospects pitched, and pitched well, Wednesday.

Jack Leiter wasn’t able to match Rocker, his former Vanderbilt teammate who tossed five scoreless innings, but he allowed on run in 4 1/3 innings. He wasn’t as efficient, walking four and nearly throwing as many balls (42) as strikes (48). But he struck out seven and allowed only one run.

Leiter had plenty of run support, as top prospect Evan Carter slugged two homers for Friday.

Cole Winn had his best outing of the season for Triple A Round Rock, allowing three runs in five innings. The big number was two, as in two walks issued. He walked eight in his first seven innings this season.

ICYMI …

The Rangers just completed a short homestand, all of three games, but, man, was it long on news. Next up is a three-game series at Houston that will put the Rangers back on national TV on Sunday night. That will result in a late arrival to Kansas City for three more games. Baseball is a grind, but Rangers Today will be along for the ride. Here’s some of our latest content, in case you missed it.

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Rangers Today Baseball Podcast: Audio to new Dustin Harris episode.