The Texas Rangers have been left searching for answers regarding Corey Seager’s lingering back issue after manager Skip Schumaker revealed that the shortstop’s recovery from lower back inflammation has not progressed as hoped.
The Rangers had hoped Seager would take another major step forward by facing live pitching this weekend, but those plans have now been delayed.
According to Rangers reporter Shawn McFarland, Schumaker said Seager’s recovery has not gone as expected. While Schumaker did not describe the situation as a setback, the postponement remains a concern for a Rangers team that has already struggled with offensive consistency this season.
Seager has been sidelined since mid-May after initially dealing with back spasms that later resulted in a stint on the injured list because of lower back inflammation.
Skip Schumaker said that Corey Seager’s back recovery “wasn’t where we wanted it to be” after yesterday’s workout. He was supposed to face live pitching tomorrow but that’s been postponed.
Skip Schumaker said that Corey Seager’s back recovery “wasn’t where we wanted it to be” after yesterday’s workout. He was supposed to face live pitching tomorrow but that’s been postponed.
“We’re trying to figure out the next steps,” Schumaker said.
— Shawn McFarland (@McFarland_Shawn) May 24, 2026
The 32-year-old resumed baseball activities earlier this week, including jogging, cage work, and weight-room sessions. However, the discomfort apparently lingered long enough for Texas to delay the next phase of his rehabilitation.
Back injuries are notoriously unpredictable in baseball, especially for infielders who rely heavily on rotational movement at the plate and quick reactions defensively. That uncertainty is clearly influencing how cautiously the Rangers are handling one of the most important players on the roster.
Seager remains a centerpiece of the lineup despite enduring a difficult stretch offensively before the injury. Prior to landing on the injured list, he was in one of the toughest slumps of his career, including an 0-for-27 skid that coincided with the emergence of the back issue.
At the time of the injury, Seager was batting .179 with seven home runs and 20 RBI through 42 games during the 2026 season. Entering the year, he owned a career .290 batting average with more than 200 home runs and an OPS above .870.
The veteran shortstop is also a five-time All-Star and one of the few players in MLB history to win multiple World Series MVP awards. He earned the honor with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 before winning it again with Texas during the franchise’s World Series run in 2023.
Texas has already dealt with several injury concerns this season, and rushing Seager back before his back fully stabilizes could create a much larger problem later in the year. Schumaker acknowledged earlier this week that back injuries can quickly worsen if they are not managed carefully.
