Rangers Sit Corey Seager Again as Wyatt Langford Moves into DH Role

The Texas Rangers have released their lineup for the third and final game of their three-game series with the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager collides with Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen at home plate. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Hamstrung by a second straight game against a left-handed starter, the Texas Rangers could use Corey Segaer back in the lineup.

The shortstop has been out of the lineup for the first two games of this weekend’s series with the Boston Red Sox after he suffered from some lingering jaw and rib soreness after a home plate collision with Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen on Thursday. Texas is already trying to be cautious with Seager after he spent the second half of May on the IL with lower back inflammation.

Texas only has one planned off day the rest of the month and that’s Wednesday, when the Rangers and Twins go dark in the middle of their three-game series to accommodate a World Cup match at nearby AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Keeping Seager healthy is paramount. Which may be why he’s not in the lineup again on Sunday.

Texas Rangers Lineup for May 14

Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford fields a base hit while sliding on his back. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

DH Wyatt Langford

3B Josh Jung

RF Brandon Nimmo (L)

SS Ezequiel Duran

1B Jake Burger

2B Justin Foscue

LF Cody Freeman

C Kyle Higashioka

CF Alejandro Osuna (L)

RHP Nathan Eovaldi

The Rangers are facing their second left-handed starter in as many days. Connelly Early is 5-4 with a 3.30 ERA in 13 starts with 69 strikeouts and 27 walks in 71 innings. Texas is batting under .230 against left-handers this season.

After a planned day off on Saturday, Brandon Nimmo is back in the lineup and in his right field position. Ezequiel Duran played the position on Saturday. The lineup, overall, is an odd one.

Langford has led off before but he’s serving as the DH. Taking him out of the field means reshuffling the outfield. Cody Freeman will take his spot in left field. Alejandro Osuna, just recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to take the injured Michael Helman’s place on the roster, will play center field.

Duran moves back to shortstop for Seager and Justin Foscue is back at second base.

With the lefty starter, that takes the rest of the left-handers out of the mix to start the game, including Joc Pederson, who has been hitting leadoff when he’s in the lineup. He last played on Friday against Boston.

After the Rangers host the Twins for three games over four days, they’ll host the San Diego Padres in a three-game series. Then it’s back on the road for a week, first to Miami to face the Marlins and then a four-games series north of the border against the Toronto Blue Jays.