ARLINGTON — Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien, with a boot and a noticeable limp to match, will not play in Friday’s series opener vs. the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field.
Now the club will wait and see how long the absence extends.
Semien exited Thursday’s loss to the Kansas City Royals two innings after he fouled a pitch off of his left foot. The injury, which was initially classified as a contusion, is more complicated because of what Semien described Thursday as a compressed ligament under the arch of his foot.
The Rangers will continue to run tests and diagnostics on Semien’s left foot to ensure there is no fracture. He underwent an MRI Friday afternoon.
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“He’s in a lot of pain,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Friday. “He can barely walk with the boot on.”
Semien, who did not speak to reporters Friday afternoon, said the injury “felt like I was stepping on knives with every step” after Thursday’s game.
The 34-year-old had missed just two games before this season and only six in four years with the team. His 609 games played since the start of the 2022 season rank second leaguewide to only Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson. He has not spent time on the injured list since April 16, 2017, with the Oakland Athletics when a right wrist contusion sidelined him.
Semien missed the Aug. 16 Saturday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays after his wrist was hit by a pitch and swelled up the night before. He played the series finale against the Blue Jays and started each of the four games against the Royals before he exited Thursday’s contest.
He slashed .230/.305/.364 with 15 home runs in his first 127 games this season. It’s been the least productive offensive campaign of his 13-year career.
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