The Los Angeles Dodgers began a key series that carries National League West implications with an impressive win over the Colorado Rockies, though the day was seemingly marred by injury news from start to finish.
Corey Seager only managed to play two innings Friday night before being removed due to what the team diagnosed as a right hamstring cramp. Seager grabbed at his hamstring area while arriving advancing to second base on what was an RBI single.
“I felt it during the swing and first initial step,” he said postgame. “Then kind of right around second base I took a little bit of an awkward step, and that’s when it happened. It tightened up and almost felt like a cramp more than anything.”
Seager was checked on by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and a trainer and remained in the game. He scored on Justin Turner’s base hit, then shook his head at Roberts and went into the clubhouse.
Roberts didn’t have much of an update following his club’s 6-1 victory other than to say Seager would undergo testing on Saturday. Roberts did note Seager’s hamstring still had its strength, though the same was said about Turner and he nonetheless was put on the DL.
Roberts is hopeful the club will benefit from making what he called a “prudent” decision to remove Seager from the game. The 23-year-old has previous experience with hamstring strains and cramps/tightness.
“I very easily could’ve stayed in. [But] I’ve done that in the past and made it way worse,” Seager explained. Seager said he was “pretty confident” a stint on the disabled list would not be necessary but in the same breath wanted to reserve final judgment.
“I’m going to get it checked out and we’ll know more then,” Seager said. “The second day is always when you really know.”
Regardless if it’s determined to only have been a cramp or a strain, Roberts said Seager will not be in Saturday’s lineup. In his absence, for however long that may be, the Dodgers presumably will turn to Kiké Hernandez or Chris Taylor.
“It would suck losing him,” Cody Bellinger said. “That’s why we preach versatility and depth, so we have the right guys to take the spot if he goes down.”
