Whereas last season, his first full year in the Majors, Corey Seager battled fatigue heading into the playoffs, he and the Los Angeles Dodgers are monitoring a balky right elbow down the home stretch this season.
The issue relegated Seager to pinch-hit duty for 11 games. He completed a four-day throwing program prior to returning to the lineup at shortstop on Sept. 8. Seager made nine consecutive starts in a string that was snapped Monday night in the series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies.
He did pinch-hit in the ninth inning, representing the tying run, only to strike out. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the night off was not indicative of the elbow injury, but did concede it’s a matter Seager will simply need to manage for the remainder of the season, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“I think there’s a little bit of preservation, understanding where his arm is at,” said Roberts. “I don’t think it’s 100 percent. I think he’s doing a little guarding and protecting. He knows when to let it go and when not to. But I think it’s clear that he’s doing some protecting. He’s not showing the arm strength he has had because he’s trying to manage it.”
When Roberts first revealed Seager was dealing with soreness, the young shortstop deemed his elbow 100 percent and said the team was simply erring on the side of caution. Seager later said an MRI revealed ‘problems’ that would need to be addressed during the offseason.
While Seager was not in the lineup Monday, he’s expected to start in each of the Dodgers’ remaining 12 games. The team has just one off day — Thursday, Sept. 28 — prior to closing out the regular season on Sunday, Oct. 1.
Assuming they clinch a fifth consecutive National League West title, the Dodgers will have four days off — or at least limited to workouts — before Game 1 of the NL Division Series.
