For as highly touted as he was, Los Angeles Dodgers rookie shortstop Corey Seager has developed into a superstar much quicker than expected. Entering Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, the 22 year old leads the Dodgers in batting average, home runs and RBIs this season.
Seager has been particularly hot at the plate this month, stringing together an 11-game hitting streak. It’s raised his slash line to .297/.356/.531 to go along with 16 home runs and 38 RBIs. Seager’s emergence, coupled with that of Trayce Thompson, has been pivotal in the Dodgers remaining afloat while veteran players look to find their footing.
With the production he has provided at the top of the lineup, it has been difficult for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to get Seager days off, which can be crucial for a young player in his first full big league season.
That becomes even more difficult with Seager wanting to remain in the lineup on a daily basis, but according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, the shortstop is understanding of the long-term benefit sporadic rest can provide:
“You don’t want it, you’re feeling good and you want to play,” Seager said. “But it’s better in the long run to take them now and space them out, and it will help in the end. That’s what they’ve told me. You don’t really know, but they say it’s shown it really helps. You’ve got to trust it and go with it.”
Seager has started 72 and appeared in 78 of the team’s 79 games. He’s started 24 of 26 games in June and appeared in all 26, while batting .344/.406/.656 with seven home runs and 11 RBIs. He entered Monday’s game as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning.
While he currently ranks third behind Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell and Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story in the All-star voting, it is possible and likely Seager will be named a reserve on the National League All-Star team if he does not get voted in as a starter by the fans.
