The Los Angeles Dodgers spent much of last week without three-fifths of their expected infield come the regular season. Logan Forsythe and Justin Turner were allowing lubricating injections to take effect in their respective knees, while Corey Seager nursed a bruised right shin.
Forsythe, Seager and Turner all returned by Friday — Turner was in the lineup the day prior as a designated hitter — but by Saturday the Dodgers were again without their 22-year-old shortstop.
The 2016 National League Rookie of the Year was kept out of the lineup and morning workouts at Camelback Ranch because of back tenderness. Seager also was inactive on Sunday and Monday.
While a back injury, however minor can be a delicate proposition, Seager downplayed the matter and said he expects to make a quick recovery, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“It might be a day or two,” said Seager. “It’s not serious, it’s not outrageous, it’s just March, it’s early. It will be a day-by-day kind of thing. We don’t want it to linger.”
The back became an issue after Seager made an athletic, but off-balance throw to turn a double play against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Prior to returning to the lineup last week, the Dodgers sent Seager for X-rays on the shin he struck a foul ball off of.
Falling to less than 100 percent during spring is nothing new for Seager, as he missed time last year because of a mild left knee sprain.
Seager is 0-for-5 with one walk and one strikeout over three Cactus League games thus far. He hit .350/.350/.450 with two doubles and one RBI in eight games last spring.
