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The Dodgers might get shortstop Corey Seager back before the All-Star break, or they might not. Dealing with a broken hand involves a lot of waiting until the bone fully heals. Manager Dave Roberts on Sunday said it’s possible Seager could be out until after the All-Star break.
“I think anything’s possible with this. Our hope was early July. I think Corey would have said the same thing,” Roberts said. “Now, as each day passes, it’s taking a little bit longer. I just don’t know when that could be.”
Seager on Sunday fielded grounders at shortstop and made throws across the infield. He ran the bases, and did several conditioning drills. But he’s still experiencing soreness in the fifth metacarpal in his right hand, the bone he broke when hit by a fastball from Ross Detwiler on May 15. Seager has since cut back on taking batting practice.
“Now it’s just waiting for this thing to heal up, so he can not have soreness when he’s swinging the bat,” Roberts said. “Right now I just don’t have a timeline. I just want to see him take some live at-bats first.”
Dodgers-Cubs lineups
| Pos | Cubs | Pos | Dodgers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Cubs | Pos | Dodgers |
| C | Contreras | RF | Betts |
| RF | Bryant | CF | Bellinger (L) |
| 1B | Rizzo (L) | 3B | Turner |
| SS | Báez | 1B | Beaty (L) |
| LF | Pederson (L) | 2B | Taylor |
| CF | Marisnick | SS | Lux (L) |
| 3B | Wisdom | LF | McKinstry (L) |
| 2B | Sogard (L) | C | Barnes |
| P | Alzolay | P | Kershaw (L) |
The original plan was for Seager to begin a minor league rehab assignment perhaps as early as next week. But the Dodgers tentatively plan to bring Seager with them on the upcoming road trip, which starts Thursday in Washington D.C. then concludes in Miami.
Sunday is Seager’s 38th game missed since suffering the fracture, six weeks since his first game missed. With the All-Star Game set for July 11, if Seager were to return for the first series after the break, that would mark seven weeks missed.
The two other long-term injuries suffered by Dodgers regulars experienced similar limbo periods. Cody Bellinger missed 46 games with a fracture of his left fibula, and was limited at times during rehab while waiting for the bone to fully heal. Similar, a strained right oblique meant a lot of waiting for Zach McKinstry, who missed 33 games.
Seager and Bellinger have played only four games together.