ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — All-Star shortstop Corey Seager was activated from the injured list Wednesday after he missed nine games for the Texas Rangers because of a sprained right thumb.
Texas made the move a before its game against the Chicago White Sox. Seager was back in the lineup playing shortstop and batting second, after an original lineup had Josh Smith listed at short.
The Rangers went 3-6 without Seager, who returned with a two-run homer in his first at-bat back, putting the Rangers up 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning. It was his 16th homer of the season.
The Houston Astros completed a three-game sweep of Cleveland earlier Wednesday for their 62nd win, one more than Texas though they still were a percentage point behind the Rangers in the AL West standings.
Seager got hurt July 21 when his right hand jammed awkwardly into the base when reaching on a head-first slide against the Los Angeles Dodgers, his former team. An MRI showed no structural damage for what is his bottom hand as a left-handed hitter, and his throwing hand when fielding right-handed.
Along with his 16th homer, Seager recorded the first two defensive outs for Texas on routine grounders to shortstop. He also fielded and threw cleanly on a slow-rolling infield single by Luis Robert Jr. in the top of the first.
Seager hit .350 in his first 66 games. That batting average would lead the American League if he qualified, but he also missed 31 games with a left hamstring strain just two weeks into the season. Texas went 19-12 during that IL stint for the shortstop, who is in the second season of a $325 million, 10-year deal.
The Rangers placed infielder Brad Miller on the 10-day IL because of a strained left hamstring.
Texas had earlier added new catcher Austin Hedges to its 26-man roster. Outfielder Bubba Thompson was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock to make room for Hedges, who was acquired from Pittsburgh just before the trade deadline Tuesday.
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