The Rangers announced this afternoon that shortstop Corey Seager has been activated from the injured list. To clear space on the roster, infielder Jonathan Ornelas has been optioned to Triple-A. Additionally, right-hander Dane Dunning has passed through waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A.
Seager, 31, had been sidelined with a hamstring strain since April 23 and is returning after spending the minimum time on the injured list. However, he’s being eased back into action as the designated hitter for now, while Josh Smith continues to handle shortstop duties. This likely means Seager is cleared to hit but still being protected from fielding duties as he fully recovers. Designated hitter Joc Pederson, who has been struggling, is getting a start at first base today, pushing recently recalled Blaine Crim to the bench to accommodate Seager. It’s unclear how long Seager will serve only as a DH, but for now, Pederson and Crim appear to be competing for playing time.
Regardless of the shuffle at first base, Seager’s return is a significant boost for a Rangers offense that has been underperforming. The team has had one of the league’s weakest lineups this season, with key players like Pederson, Marcus Semien, and Jake Burger all struggling. Seager’s absence contributed to the team’s offensive woes, but with his return and Burger being sent to Triple-A, the hope is that the lineup can start producing. While Seager hasn’t shown his typical power yet, he’s still put up a strong .286/.345/.468 slash line with a 131 wRC+ in 21 games this year.
Ornelas, who heads back to Triple-A to make room for Seager, has been a marginal depth option for Texas over the past few seasons. The 24-year-old has played in just 30 MLB games, batting a meager .184/.245/.224 overall. In his brief stint with the Rangers this year, he went hitless in six plate appearances. He’ll return to Triple-A Round Rock, though his current .146/.269/.146 line at that level suggests he has work to do before earning another call-up.
Meanwhile, this marks the second time this season that Dunning has cleared waivers. After a recent three-inning outing in the majors, he was quickly removed from the roster and sent back to Triple-A with a 6.00 ERA. While Dunning has the option to reject the outright assignment and become a free agent, doing so would mean forfeiting his $2.66 million salary for the year. As such, he’s expected to accept the assignment and continue pitching for Round Rock in hopes of another opportunity with the big league club.
