The Los Angeles Dodgers arrived in Chicago on Monday, a day prior to Game 3 against the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series. As expected, the Dodgers were not joined on the trip by Corey Seager.
While there was optimism the ailing All-Star shortstop would continue recovering from a lower back strain and start in Game 1, he wasn’t so much as included by the Dodgers on their NLCS roster. Seager was administered an epidural injection to alleviate the pain and tightness.
Although Seager did not travel with the Dodgers, manager Dave Roberts said “there’s continued improvement” in his condition. The 23-year-old previously said this week would be key to determining whether a return was plausible if the Dodgers were to reach the World Series.
As it stands, Roberts does not anticipate Seager being added to the playoff roster for Game 4 or a potential Game 5 at Wrigley Field. “I don’t see it happening right now. He hasn’t done anything baseball specific,” Roberts explained.
“So, number one, we’ve got to get him in a place where physically he feels like he can play in a Major League game and endure those conditions as far as weather, to be able to come back after a game and to play the next day. So right now I wouldn’t say that we’re close to that point yet.”
Beyond the question of health, activating Seager for the NLCS would be problematic. He’d have to replace an injured player on the current roster, but removing said player would make them ineligible for the World Series if the Dodgers are to advance.
Furthermore, deeming a player has suffered an injury is more stringent than the process during the regular season. An independent third party would need to provide clearance and approval of the injury, which MLB presumably would thoroughly monitor.
With the Dodgers set for at least two more games with the Cubs, the probability of Seager returning at any point during the NLCS appears to be nonexistent.
