ARLINGTON -- Corey Seager has done a lot of research on appendectomies over the last few days.
The Rangers' shortstop underwent a successful appendectomy in Mansfield, Texas, on Aug. 28, sidelining him for at least a couple weeks amidst a postseason push.
Seager hopes to return to the field before the end of the season. But according to Bruce Bochy, things will continue to be taken day by day with the franchise superstar.
“It can vary a ton, unfortunately,” Seager said of his research. “I actually spoke to some guys. There’s been some basketball guys who have come back in three weeks, but they’re not rotating and stuff, so I don't know if that changes it just because of where the incisions are. I really don't know. I feel like I saw very opposite ends of the spectrum. It was either really fast or it wasn’t at all.
“Matt Holliday did it in like 10 days. That was the fastest I saw. That’s in like two days [for me], so there's no chance.”
Seager said he started feeling discomfort the night after an Aug. 25 loss to the Angels. It ultimately got worse over the next few days. He was then removed in the fifth inning of an Aug. 27 win over the Angels in the series finale. At the time, the Rangers were up 11-1 and would go on to win 20-3.
“It was a fortunate situation,” Seager said. “I don't honestly know what I would have done [if the deficit wasn’t so big] because I was in a lot of discomfort. But we were up by 10, so it made it a lot easier than it probably could have been."
There’s still a lot unknown for Seager at the moment, but he continues to remain optimistic regarding a return this season. He added that because his appendix didn’t burst, it was not nearly as bad as it could have been. The procedure was laparoscopic.
Seager is right that the recovery time varies, though. The aforementioned Matt Holliday returned to the Cardinals' lineup in 2011 just nine days after his own appendectomy.
Former White Sox outfielder Eloy Jiménez had an appendectomy on May 5, 2023. He returned just weeks later on May 28.
The most recent MLB appendectomy seems to be Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker, who missed three weeks out of the All-Star break, though he was able to avoid surgery, unlike Seager.
“I have to think it’s possible,” Seager said of potentially returning. “I am pleased with where I am. I didn't know where I would be, but I mean, I could definitely be worse.”