Corey Seager says he will be ready for Rangers spring training after 2 hernia operations last year

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — All-Star shortstop and two-time World Series MVP Corey Seager says he feels great and will be ready to go on the first day of spring training with the Texas Rangers after twice having hernia surgery last year.

“It’s a pretty normal offseason, which is nice. First time in a while,” Seager said Friday night before the team’s annual awards dinner, where he was recognized as the Rangers player of the year. “It’s been good to kind of get in the gym and get in shape again and just kind of be ready.”

Seager had a right sports hernia repair last Sept. 13. That was on the opposite side of his abdomen from the first procedure on Jan. 30 that forced him to miss most of spring training last year, though he was ready for the season opener.

In between those procedures, Seager hit .278 with 30 homers and 74 RBIs in 123 games. After a slow start, he batted .296 with 28 homers and 66 RBIs in 94 games after the start of May.

“It might have been a little easier just because you know what to expect,” Seager said of the latest recovery. “You weren’t as nervous about certain feelings and stuff like that. So once the six weeks was over, I kind of hit the ground running and I got to kind of build into it slower than I did (last) spring.”

Seager dealt with the left hernia issue throughout the postseason when the Rangers won their first World Series title in 2023. He still hit .318 with six homers, 12 RBIs and 15 walks in 17 postseason games.

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