Though he’s only entering his third full season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Corey Seager has already firmly solidified himself as one of the best shortstops in the Majors.
Seager has proven his value to the Dodgers on both sides of the ball, emerging as a constant extra-base threat in the lineup and a Gold Glove-caliber talent on the field. He’s coming off another excellent year, though it was clouded with injuries at the end of the season that caused his production to drop.
After a full offseason of rest, Seager is looking to balance his workload and time off in effort to avoid dealing with nagging injuries, per Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
“I have to work to feel comfortable,” Seager said. “That’s what I’ve done. You try and find ways to maybe do less, but if I don’t feel comfortable, I’m going to have to keep doing it until I do. It’ll just be trying to find a balance with it, probably.”
Seager battled elbow pain during the second half of last season, which ultimately sidelined him for two weeks in September. He was frustrated with the Dodgers’ cautionary approach, but it ultimately paid off, as it helped him avoid offseason surgery.
Seager would later suffer a back ailment in the first round of the postseason that kept him off the National League Championship roster. He returned for the World Series, but understandably wasn’t his usual self and struggled for the better part of the matchup.
The 23-year-old reported to Camelback Ranch on Friday and admitted that he’ll be a little behind schedule in Spring Training. Though, he confirmed that last season’s injuries won’t be a factor heading into the new season.
