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Rangers Put Corey Seager on IL, Call Up Helman

5/19/2026

48 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Seager Injured

The Texas Rangers placed shortstop Corey Seager on the 10-day injured list on May 15 due to lower back inflammation.
Seager, 32, is batting .179 with seven homers, 20 RBIs in 42 games.
He is in the fifth year of a $325 million, 10-year deal, which Rangers president Chris Young said should let him reset mentally.
Utility player Michael Helman was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to fill Seager’s roster spot.

Summary

Seager Out

The Rangers have four position players—Corey Seager, Cody Freeman, Josh Smith and Wyatt Langford—on the injured list.
Seager has spent the past three seasons on the IL with a hamstring strain, thumb injury, sports-hernia, hip surgery and an appendectomy.
Utility man Ezequiel Duran is filling shortstop and is batting .270/.339/.441 with three homers.
Fantasy managers should watch Seager’s IL status because his absence may impact weekly roster moves.

Summary

Seager MRI Scan

Seager was sent to the Rangers’ back specialist in Arlington instead of traveling with the team to Colorado.
He underwent an MRI on Sunday morning, with results still pending after the 8-0 win.
Seager arrived at the stadium before the coaching staff and lobbied to start despite his back spasms.
The club has not placed him on the injured list, opting to monitor him through additional testing.

History

Historical Context

After the Rangers signed Alex Rodriguez to a record-breaking 10-year, $252 million deal on January 26 2001, the franchise tied up payroll and faced criticism when his 2002 back injury cost him 45 games. The same pattern reappeared in 2024 when shortstop Corey Seager’s inflammation sidelined him, prompting Texas to promote Michael Helman and Ezequiel Duran for depth.

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Seager Injured

The Texas Rangers placed shortstop Corey Seager on the 10-day injured list on May 15 due to lower back inflammation.
Seager, 32, is batting .179 with seven homers, 20 RBIs in 42 games.
He is in the fifth year of a $325 million, 10-year deal, which Rangers president Chris Young said should let him reset mentally.
Utility player Michael Helman was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to fill Seager’s roster spot.

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