Los Angeles Dodgers: Corey Seager to Return for Opening Day
By Manny Gómez
After missing most of 2018, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says Corey Seager will “absolutely” be ready for Opening Day 2019.
Corey Seager emerged on the scene for a brief big league stint in 2015. The following year, he officially became the Los Angeles Dodgers starting shortstop. That season, Seager won the Rookie of the Year award after hitting .308 with a .877 OPS.
That season and the next, Seager would make the All-Star team and capture two consecutive Silver Slugger awards, living up to the hype that followed him throughout his relatively brief minor league career.
So good has Corey Seager been for the Dodgers that since 2016, among all big league SS with a minimum 1000 PA, Seager ranks 2nd, behind Francisco Lindor, in fWAR. In that same span, he ranks first among SS in wRC+ (130), wOBA (365), and 2nd in OPS (.857)
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In 2018, however, Seager fell victim to a devastating injury which resulted in season-ending Tommy John Surgery. To fill the void Seager left behind, the Dodgers resorted to Manny Machado, whom they acquired prior to the July 31 trade deadline in return for prospects.
While Machado did a representative job in his time in Los Angeles., the team missed Seager’s presence at the plate and on the field.
You see, defensively, in 424+ innings at short, Machado featured a +5 DRS, 0.8 UZR, and a .976 FP. Comparatively, using 2017 stats, Seager had a +10 DRS, a 9.0 UZR, and a .979 FP.
Offensively, since 2016 (min. 1000 PA) Seager edges out the $300M Machado in almost every metric.
- Corey Seager: .299 BA / .368 OBP / .489 SLG / .365 wOBA / 130 wRC+
- Manny Machado: .283 BA / .340 OBP / .514 SLG / .357 wOBA / 125 wRC+
Now, since the San Diego Padres signed Machado to a 10-year deal, the Dodgers were left wondering if their home grown short stop would return in time for Opening day.
The answer, according to manager Dave Roberts, is “absolutely.”
In a piece by Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, Roberts is quoted as saying:
"“I just think in talking to the training staff and talking to Corey himself and just where he’s at, the progression — we’ve been conservative, understandably, and I just don’t see any reason why he won’t be ready for Opening Day,”"
This is some much needed good news for the Dodgers who might be without Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler to start the season.
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Corey Seager has yet to appear in any Spring Training games. However, according to Gonzalez, he is expected to ramp up in action over the last 10 days of Spring.