Texas Rangers Boss Explains Why All-Star is Hitting at DH on Opening Day

The Texas Rangers released their opening-day batting order and one lineup mainstay isn’t playing in the field.

Sep 1, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) scores from second base on a double hit by right fielder Adolis Garcia (not pictured) during the first inning at Globe Life Field. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers locked in their opening day roster and their batting order for the first game of the season against the Boston Red Sox.

The lineup is largely what one might expect from the Rangers, with second baseman Marcus Semien batting first and playing second base, followed by Corey Seager batting second.

But there was one slight adjustment. Seager wasn’t at his usual shortstop position. He was in the designated hitter spot.

Seager has been dealing with a tight calf the past few days and took to Globe Life Field well before pre-game warm-ups started to test it.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that Seager could play the field on opening day but is playing a longer game when it comes to this four-game series with the Red Sox.

Rangers lineup for March 27, 2025 vs. Boston pic.twitter.com/WKoTvQEzPv

— Texas Rangers PR (@TXRangersPR) March 27, 2025

“Could he have played short today? Yeah, we could have pushed him a bit,” Bochy said. “But with the right-hander tomorrow, I wanted to make sure he was ready to go (into the field) tomorrow so we could have both him and Joc (Pederson).”

The Red Sox are starting left-hander Garrett Crochet, which takes Pederson out of the lineup. The Rangers signed him in the offseason to hit against right-handed pitching, as the left-handed hitting Pederson has much better splits against right-handers. Texas is expecting to see right-handed starters the rest of the series.

Seager got off to a slow start at this time last season due to sports hernia surgery, but he was in the opening-day lineup at shortstop. He ended last season needing sports hernia surgery again, this time on the other side of his body.

Putting Seager at DH put Josh Smith in the starting lineup at shortstop. In addition, Kyle Higashioka drew the start behind the plate instead of Johan Heim. Bochy said he expects to alternate between the two and that both should play two games in this series.