ARLINGTON — The clock will wind down on the regular season within the next week-and-a-half. Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien still hopes to beat it.
Semien took live batting practice, hit on the field pregame with his teammates and ran for the first time since his foot injury before Friday’s series opener vs. the Miami Marlins at Globe Life field.
“It felt good,” Semien said. “I’m excited to see what I can do in the next couple of days, knowing there’s only a little over a week left. It’s kind of like, if I can get through this stuff, hopefully they see enough to let me back in the lineup.”
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Semien was diagnosed with a Lisfranc sprain and a fractured third metatarsal after he fouled a pitch off the top of his left foot in an Aug. 21 game against the Kansas City Royals. He underwent a follow-up X-ray Friday that, according to Semien, “looks as if I didn’t have a sprain.”
The 35-year-old will continue to run for the next few days to see how his foot responds to each workout before further progression. Semien’s ability to swing a bat is less affected by the injury because he doesn’t put as much force on his foot.
“I thought he looked good,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “He took some good swings, barreled up some balls. I thought that was impressive with all the time that he’s missed. He’s doing what he can to get out there.”
The Rangers, four games out of the American League’s third wild card spot entering Friday, have only eight games left to play. It allows only a small window for Semien to make a return.
“I just want to make sure I’m comfortable,” said Semien, who will now wear a protective shield above his foot during at-bats. “If I’m comfortable, I’ll go play. But if something doesn’t feel right and it’s risking surgery or something, that’s definitely a no-no.”
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