Rangers’ Corey Seager to officially return from IL right before trade deadline

Normally, a returning Corey Seager would be viewed as a de facto MLB trade deadline acquisition, but even when healthy, the five-time All-Star shortstop has scuffled profusely this season. He startlingly sits below the Mendoza Line through 184 at-bats, leaving some fans to wonder if the two-time World Series MVP can nudge the Texas Rangers (55-54) into the playoffs. Well, Arlington sure wants to see him try. Seager is officially coming off the 10-day injured list, per the team’s public relations X account.

The 32-year-old has spent the last month on the shelf with lower back inflammation, but he will return for a huge three-game set against the home-team Houston Astros. Since there is only a half game separating the American League West contenders, this series packs plenty of playoff implications. Seager has the nerve for high-pressure matchups such as these, so his timing could not be better.

Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young should be open to making more moves ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, but one cannot overlook the significance of an active Seager. Despite his overall struggles this year, No. 5 was starting to showcase his power before landing on the IL. He hit three home runs while slugging .484 and posting an .808 OPS in 31 at-bats in June.

Although it is a small sample size, fans should take comfort in knowing that Corey Seager can still pummel the baseball. He needs to put everything together, however. The lauded left-handed batter is slashing .182/.292/.374/.667 with 10 homers and 25 RBIs through 51 games played.

Seager knows the drill. He must find his MLB legs, shake off the rust and quickly enter a gear that can propel Texas closer to its first divisional title in a decade. The Rangers collide with the Astros in Daikin Park Friday night, beginning at approximately at 8:15 p.m. ET.

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