FRISCO — Rangers shortstop Corey Seager and left fielder Wyatt Langford played in mismatched uniforms. Their cream-colored jerseys appropriately matched their temporary minor league teammates. Their white pants matched the ones their big league teammates wear down the road at Globe Life Field.
Almost — but not quite — back to normal.
Seager and Langford played in a minor league rehab game with Double-A Frisco at Riders Field against Springfield on Tuesday afternoon. Seager played three innings, finished 1 for 2 and fielded two ground balls at shortstop in his first organized game since lower back inflammation landed him on the 10-day injured list three weeks ago. Langford, sidelined since April 22 with a right forearm strain, played two games at Triple-A Round Rock this weekend. He finished 1 for 2 Tuesday with two walks.
“It’s nice to get on your feet, move around, get your legs under yourself,” Seager said. “It was good.”
The 32-year-old had not undergone a minor league rehab assignment in nearly three years prior to this week, but given the nature of his injury, the Rangers wanted to see how his back responded to more stressful in-game defensive and offensive situations that can’t be easily simulated. He turned a double play on the first batted ball of the game in the first inning and made a play to his right for a ground ball in the third.
“I’ve got no experience with the back [injuries],” Seager said. “When you have the hamstrings, I know how to play with them, I know how to work through them, so [with a back injury], you just kind of check and make sure.”
Langford is 1 for 7 with four walks in three rehab games, and after Tuesday’s outing, he reported no pain in his forearm. The 24-year-old first attempted to play a rehab game at the club’s Surprise, Ariz., complex late last month, but after his strain flared up in the midst of his at-bat, he was forced to abort the comeback and restart his recovery progression.
“My arm feels great,” Langford said. “I’m ready to be back.”
The two will rejoin a Rangers lineup that’s hit a decent stride as of late. The trio of first baseman Jake Burger, designated hitter Joc Pederson and third baseman Josh Jung have combined to hit .286 with 10 home runs in the last two weeks. The preseason belief was that if those three could have resurgent seasons — and if Seager and Langford could continue their expected All-Star caliber of play — the club’s offense could potentially buck the trend of consecutive dismal seasons.
“Me and Wyatt’s job is to kind of hop on board and keep the train rolling,” Seager said. “We don’t have to come back and be somebody. We don’t want them to try and do more than they’re doing now. It’s kind of getting us all back out there, healthy, and hopefully keep going.”