Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager will not have surgery on his right hand after breaking it in Saturday’s 7-0 win against the Miami Marlins, manager Dave Roberts announced Sunday.
Roberts said that the timeline is "vague" for Seager's return and that the Dodgers will primarily plan to have Gavin Lux play shortstop in the interim.
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In the bottom of the fifth inning, Seager was batting against Marlins left-hander Ross Detweiler when he was hit by a pitch while in mid-swing. Sheldon Neuse entered the game for the Dodgers at second base, and Lux shifted to shortstop to replace Seager.
Roberts said after the game that Seager was "in some pain," as his hand already had begun to show signs of swelling. X-rays revealed Seager suffered a fracture.
Seager is batting .265 with four home runs and 20 RBIs in 37 games this season.
When could Seager return?
Virginia Zakas, Inside Injuries: Seager is expected to miss at least four weeks as he recovers from a right-hand fracture. He will not undergo surgery, but our algorithm is saying that this fracture actually needs seven weeks to fully heal. He can play before then, but it will affect his power at the plate and could also impact his throws. The best decision is for the Dodgers to sit him through the All-Star break.
Who will replace Seager?
Fabian Ardaya, Dodgers beat writer: In the short-term, the Dodgers do have some options at shortstop. Lux slid over to shortstop at the end of Saturday's win and could slide over with some combination of Neuse and even Max Muncy at second base.
Chris Taylor has mostly played center field in Cody Bellinger's absence, but would make sense to slide over and play shortstop, with Mookie Betts sliding over to center and Luke Raley or DJ Peters manning the corner outfield.
Of course, this gets more complicated when new acquisitions Albert Pujols and Yoshi Tsutsugo join the roster.
(Photo: Ashley Landis / The Associated Press)
More on Seager’s injury:
Seager fractured the fifth metacarpal in his right hand, Roberts said. https://t.co/xRGUb9Kofd
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) May 16, 2021