Why Corey Seager Isn’t in Rangers Starting Lineup Against Patrick Corbin

The Texas Rangers are taking a cautious approach with their slugger as he just returned from the injured list.

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers have a plan for Corey Seager. The shortstop won’t be in the starting lineup on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Seager returned on Thursday from the concussion injured list and manager Skip Schumaker told reporters in Toronto, including MLB.com, that the organization is taking a staggered approach with him until the Rangers’ next off day on July 3 against Detroit.

Seager started on Thursday night against the Blue Jays. The plan was for him to take Friday off. Then, Seager should play on Saturday and Sunday before taking the day off on Monday when the Rangers get to Cleveland. Seager has been on the injured list twice in the last six weeks and the Rangers want to avoid another repeat.

So, Ezequiel Duran will start at shortstop, something he got used to doing when Seager was on the IL.

Meanwhile, the Rangers know Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Patrick Corbin all too well after last season.

Corbin was a late spring training signing for the Rangers, who were dealing with starting pitching depth before opening day. Corbin turned out to be a solid signing for Texas. He ended last season with a record of 7-11 and a 4.40 ERA. In typical Corbin style, he made every start he was available to make. That has always been his best quality — availability.

Now, he returns to the mound against the Rangers and, being a left-hander, that means the Rangers have reconfigure the lineup. Here it is.

Texas Rangers Lineup for June 26, 2026

5 homers in his last 8 games!@langford_wyatt x #AllForTX pic.twitter.com/r9xTiDcstq

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) June 25, 2026

CF Wyatt Langford

3B Josh Jung

RF Brandon Nimmo (L)

1B Jake Burger

DH Justin Foscue

SS Ezequiel Duran

C Kyle Higashioka

LF Alejandro Osuna (L)

2B Nicky Lopez (L)

Texas Rangers at Toronto Blue Jays

Belted a kilometer high 🍔 pic.twitter.com/UwzRtFaBhD

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) June 25, 2026

Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto.

Friday: 6:07 p.m. — TV: Rangers: CW33, can be streamed on Victory+; Blue Jays: SN1

Starting Pitchers

Friday: Texas RHP Nathan Eovaldi (7-7, 4.24) vs. Toronto LHP Patrick Corbin (2-3, 4.73)

Matchup Notes

With Corbin on the bump, that means the Rangers are only going to start left-handed hitters with good splits against left-handers. So that takes Joc Pederson out of the lineup and moves the red-hot Wyatt Langford to leadoff. He’s slashing .328/.377/.656 with six home runs and 15 RBI in his last 15 games. Langford has never faced Corbin.

As for the left-handed hitters, Brandon Nimmo faced Corbin 45 times in New York and batted .289 against him with two home runs and two RBI. The Rangers could have started either Jarred Kelenic or Alejandro Osuna, as both hit lefties well. But Osuna has been much hotter at the plate, as he is slashing .333/.391/.429 in his last seven games.

From the right side, Elias Díaz has a .292 average against Corbin in 24 at-bats. Kyle Higashioka is a .286 hitter with two RBI in seven at-bats. The Rangers couldn’t go wrong with either. Justin Foscue is the DH and has been torching left-handed pitching of late.