ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Corey Seager never made any excuses when he was struggling early this season, even after the World Series MVP shortstop missed most of spring training with the Texas Rangers.
“When you’re out on the field, you’ve got to do what you can to get hits and be productive,” Seager said again this week. “And I just wasn’t.”
Well, he is certainly producing now.
Seager has eight home runs in his last eight games and will end May with his most homers ever in a single month — he has 11 already this month with one game remaining. He has reached base in 22 consecutive games and his 12-game hitting streak is the longest in his three seasons with Texas.
Manager Bruce Bochy said he is running out of things to say about Seager, who overall is hitting .260 with 13 homers and 29 RBIs in 51 games. His teammates often prophetically joke in the dugout about what is about to happen when he goes to the plate.
“Oh, he’s due for another homer. And he hits another homer,” first baseman Nathaniel Lowe said. “A week straight of hitting homers. … It’s really cool.”
The Rangers had Thursday off before opening a three-game weekend series at Miami.
After surgery in January to repair a sports hernia, Seager played only the final three spring training games. He was hitting .219 with two homers and eight RBIs after his first 29 regular-season games, but has reached base in all 22 games since, including his current homer-a-game streak.
“Even at the start of the year struggling a little bit, his work ethic, his routine, it’s so dialed in. He does everything the same every day. He has his plan,” Texas pitcher Dane Dunning said. “When you see it come to life as this stretch has been, it’s a lot of fun to watch.”