Injuries & Moves: Seager 'doing better' but still out
LATEST NEWS
July 2: SS Corey Seager (left wrist) not in lineup again
The Rangers were prepared for the worst when Seager exited Saturday’s loss in Baltimore after being struck by a Cade Povich pitch in the fifth inning. Initial imaging revealed no fracture, but Seager has not been in the lineup since, including the series opener against the Padres on Tuesday.
"He's day to day,” said Rangers manager Bruce Bochy. “He's doing better. He took some swings today, so we're getting good news on that end."
June 30: INF Jonathan Ornelas recalled from Triple-A Round Rock; LHP Brock Burke optioned to Triple-A
The Rangers summoned infield depth in light of Corey Seager’s injury scare, recalling their No. 30 prospect per MLB Pipeline for his second big league stint this season. Burke had pitched in two of the past three games.
June 30: Rangers swing trade with Blue Jays
Texas acquired Minor League right-hander Josh Mollerus from the Blue Jays in exchange for righty Yerry Rodríguez, who had been designated for assignment on June 26. The 24-year-old Mollerus was assigned to High-A Hickory.
10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
OF Evan Carter (lower back soreness)
Expected return: Late July
Carter flew to Arizona last week and has begun swinging a bat for the first time since he landed on the injured list. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that he was expected to face live pitching sometime in the next few days.
Bochy said on June 4 that Carter’s back injury is a little worse than they thought. They initially thought lower back tightness for Carter but it is now being classified as a stress reaction, according to Bochy. The rookie outfielder may miss another month or more as he recovers.
Carter missed seven games from May 11-17 with back soreness, but returned without an IL stint initially. He missed time in the Minors with a stress fracture in his back in 2021, so the Rangers have been cautious with him.
Bochy believes that the injury has been bothering Carter more than he let on, and that’s affected his performance at the plate, where he hit just .095/.156/.143 over his last 15 games. (Last updated: July 2)
RHP Josh Sborz (right rotator cuff strain)
Expected return: TBD
Sborz began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on June 16. As of July 2, he'd made six appearances (5 1/3 innings) and allowed six runs over that time, tallying 10 strikeouts to five walks.
Sborz exited Game 2 of a doubleheader against the A’s on May 8 with right shoulder tightness after throwing eight pitches, seven of which were balls. His velocity was down 3-4 mph across all of his pitches as well. Sborz already spent time on the IL earlier this season with a right rotator cuff strain. (Last updated: July 2)
60-DAY INJURED LIST
RHP Tyler Mahle (right UCL repair surgery)
Expected return: Late July
Mahle will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on July 2, the Rangers announced. Manager Bruce Bochy said it’s expected to be around 35-40 pitches depending on how stressful his first couple of innings are.
Mahle underwent Tommy John surgery when he was with the Twins last May, and the Rangers signed him to a two-year, $22 million deal this offseason. The injury ruined a promising 2023 season with Minnesota, as Mahle posted a 3.16 ERA with 28 strikeouts over five starts. Mahle was officially moved to the 60-day IL at the start of the regular season. (Last updated: July 2)
3B Josh Jung (right wrist fracture)
Expected return: July
Jung went 4-for-17 with five strikeouts in four rehab games with Triple-A Round Rock, but was then shut down with "tendon inflammation" above his surgery site. Instead of taking batting practice with the Rangers in Milwaukee on June 24, he returned to Texas to get checked out. He rejoined the big league club on June 26 and had a loose plan to take batting practice on June 28. But Jung continued to experience discomfort, and the plan to have him test the wrist at any point that weekend was abandoned.
When the Rangers returned from their most recent road trip, Jung said he’s just taking everything day by day at this point. He hasn’t swung a bat since his last rehab assignment game on June 20 and is still sore, but everything remains fine structurally in the wrist after seeing a specialist on July 1. His return is likely delayed until after the All-Star break, but nothing is positive yet.
Jung was removed from the Rangers’ 9-3 win over the Rays on April 1 at Tropicana Field after being hit by a pitch on his right hand as he swung at it. Rangers general manager Chris Young said Jung had successful surgery on his fractured wrist on April 2, but when the surgeon went in for the procedure, Jung's wrist revealed a bit more extensive damage than they were hoping. Jung was transferred to the 60-day IL on April 8. (Last updated: July 2)
LHP Cody Bradford (lower back strain/stress fracture on rib)
Expected return: July
Bradford began throwing off a mound after arriving at the Rangers' complex in Arizona the last week of June in an effort to build up to a return after the All-Star break. He will likely return as a reliever instead of a starter when he is activated.
He originally landed on the injured list with a lower back strain after he was unable to throw a bullpen between starts. The initial plan was for him to miss the minimum 15 days, but after further evaluations, doctors found a “very small” stress fracture on the 12th rib on the right side, according to manager Bruce Bochy. There is still no firm timeline, but Bradford believes he’s well on his way back to the mound.
The 26-year-old lefty had been Texas' best starter on the young season, having gone 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA over his first three starts. (Last updated: July 2)
RHP Cole Winn (right shoulder sprain)
Expected return: TBD
The Rangers announced on June 23 that Winn would go to the Major League 15-day IL with right shoulder discomfort, retroactive to June 18. Winn was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on June 18, but informed the club that he was experiencing shoulder discomfort after he rejoined the Express. Team doctors then determined that he had a right shoulder sprain, and he was moved to the 60-day IL on June 26.
His last outing before the injury was with the big league club, so his option is now voided. (Last updated: June 26)
RHP Jacob deGrom (right UCL repair surgery)
Expected return: After the All-Star break
deGrom said he threw off a mound for the first time on June 17. His bullpen session included about 15 pitches, all fastballs.
“I’m feeling really good,” deGrom said. “[The bullpen] went really well, so one day at a time. I’ve got two more times this week and then just keep moving forward. I definitely want to be out there. That's the hardest thing, you want to be out there competing. But I've been through this before, so I knew what to expect and it was a long road. The main thing was just trying to be smart, not doing too much. We've been sticking to the program. Everything has felt good along the way.”
He began playing catch on Feb. 12 and resumed again on the first official day of spring workouts on Feb. 14 -- just under eight months after surgery to repair a torn right UCL that ended his 2023 season. It was the second similar operation for the 35-year-old deGrom, who had Tommy John surgery following his first professional season in 2010.
General manager Chris Young pointed out that timelines are fluid when it comes to injuries, but he also said the ace is progressing well in his rehab with an eye on returning around August.
deGrom was officially transferred to the 60-day injured list on March 22. (Last updated: June 17)
RHP Austin Pruitt (right knee medial meniscus injury)
Expected return: TBD
In another blow to the Rangers' bullpen depth, Pruitt landed on the injured list after being evaluated at the beginning of the club’s nine-game homestand that started on April 23. He has posted a 12.46 ERA across four relief appearances for Texas this season.
Pruitt was transferred to the 60-day injured list on May 21. (Last updated: May 21)
RHP Carson Coleman (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: July
Coleman was selected by the Rangers in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft from the Yankees. He did not pitch in 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. In 2022, Coleman was named the Eastern League “Reliever of the Year” after going 2-3 with 15 saves and a 2.86 ERA across 35 relief appearances for Double-A Somerset. (Last updated: March 9)