ARLINGTON — Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien did not entirely rule himself out for the remainder of the regular season after a sprain and break in his foot sidelined him.
Now he’ll begin the work to ensure that a return remains a possibility.
Semien, nearly three weeks removed from his foot injury, has a rough plan in place to ramp back up while his team continues an improbable playoff push.
“In a perfect world,” Semien said before Wednesday’s game vs. the Milwaukee Brewers at Globe Life Field, “I think six weeks is what we probably need. But right now, with where we’re at, I’m just trying to push it.”
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Semien can now walk without the assistance of a protective boot and has resumed movements that “simulate being in the batter’s box” to prepare his lower body for a return to action.
He hopes to pick a bat back up on the team’s next road trip and, if all goes well, start to hit again when the Rangers begin their series against the Houston Astros Monday at Daikin Park. If he continues to clear medical checkpoints, he’ll try to run when the Rangers return to Arlington for the Sept. 19 start of the series vs. the Miami Marlins.
“You just have to be smart,” Semien said. “Obviously, if I feel anything, it’s not like, ‘Oh, let’s keep going,’ because at four weeks there’s still some risk. But I’m willing to see what I can do and see if there’s a realistic chance of me getting back on the field.”
Semien fouled a pitch off of the top of his left foot in an Aug. 21 game against the Kansas City Royals and, after rounds of tests, was diagnosed with a Lisfranc sprain and a fractured third metatarsal. He was given an initial return timeline of four to six weeks which, at that time, would have all but likely ended his season.
He had only missed six games in four seasons with the Rangers prior to his injury and hadn’t been placed on the injured list since April 15, 2017, before this stint. He’s slashed .230/.305/.364 in 127 games played this year.
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