The worst-case scenario for Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager came true on Monday, as the team placed him on the 10-day disabled list and announced that he will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.
Seager’s elbow has been an issue for almost a year now. He dealt with the injury for much of the second half of the 2017 season but decided against undergoing surgery during in the offseason, instead opting to rehab the elbow.
Seager began Spring Training this year with some limitations, but as he built up his arm strength he was deemed healthy enough to play shortstop and began the season on the active roster.
It appears the injury got worse though, as according to J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group, Seager underwent an MRI that revealed the surgery was now required, and there is no current timetable for his recovery:
Seager said an MRI exam Monday, and a subsequent conference call with Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache, made the decision to undergo surgery clear.
There is no timetable for Seager’s recovery.
With Seager opting for the surgery now, it bodes well for him to be ready by the start of the 2019 season if everything goes according to plan. Non-pitchers historically take around 9-10 months to recover from Tommy John surgery.
Now that Seager is done for the season, the Dodgers primary options at shortstop are Chris Taylor and Kiké Hernandez. Taylor is starting there on Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks while Hernandez is starting in center field.
That could be telling of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ plans moving forward. Outfielders Alex Verdugo, Joc Pederson, and Andrew Toles, once he returns from a hamstring injury, could all also benefit from Seager being out and Taylor potentially moving to the infield.
