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Texas Rangers’ Josh Jung, right, is congratulated by Texas Rangers’ Jake Burger (21) after crossing home plate with a home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Sue Ogrocki)<\/p>\n
Sue Ogrocki\/AP Photo\/Sue Ogrocki<\/p>\n
CLEVELAND \u2013 It sounds somber and sobering to even think. The Rangers may have finally realized they can\u2019t rely on Corey\u00a0Seager<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n So, how about a different thought: It may be just what they needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n If anything has become clear on what might be a season-defining road trip, it\u2019s that Seager\u2019s availability is no longer guaranteed. Another flare-up of back \u201cdiscomfort”<\/a>, an injury that sent him to the IL in May, caused him to be pulled from the lineup while he was squatting on the top step of the dugout about to walk onto the on-deck circle in the first inning Tuesday. \u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Rangers responded with an effective yawn. They bounced back from their first deficit in nearly a week thanks to Jacob deGrom having his best fastball of the season and recording 17 straight outs after a first-inning homer. They took the lead when a guy in his second major league outfield start forgot how many outs there were and tossed a ball into the stands<\/a>. And then they shut the door the only way they know how<\/a>, with Jacob Latz slamming it for a 4-2 win over Cleveland.\u00a0<\/p>\n It was their sixth straight win, their longest winning streak since last September, when they were also without Seager. It was their sixth straight road win, giving them their longest road winning streak since 2023. Now, the AL West leaders are a mere two games back of the No. 2 seed in the AL playoff race.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey are doing whatever they can to win,\u201d manager Skip Schumaker said. \u201cWe talked about that early in spring training, to win the day. It doesn’t matter what type of adversity comes your way \u2013 and we have been hit with a lot of adversity this trip<\/a> \u2013 but credit to these guys, they just keep stepping up and keep impressing. A lot of guys that are playing everyday roles who may not have thought they were going to play in everyday roles at the beginning of the season.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The Rangers have had to do without a lot this year. They have been without Evan Carter in the starting lineup for 26 of their 86 games this season. Without Seager for 36. And without Wyatt Langford for 46. But Seager, in the fifth year of a 10-year deal, is the club\u2019s franchise cornerstone, a fact that was only underscored when Marcus Semien was traded last winter.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n And yet Seager has appeared in only 98 of their last 162 games. The Rangers have a winning record with him. But they\u2019ve spent too often looking like a team waiting for him. Therapists have a word for that: Codependence. It\u2019s not a great condition.\u00a0<\/p>\n Make no mistake. The Rangers want him back. It\u2019s just that they are starting to function like a club that doesn\u2019t necessarily depend on having him back. Which is probably a good thing, because back issues are tricky and often chronic. More so for shortstops moving deeper into their 30s.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n