Dodgers' top prospect Corey Seager to debut Thursday
The Los Angeles Dodgers have promoted infielder Corey Seager, one of the top-rated prospects in baseball, ahead of Thursday's clash with the San Diego Padres.
He will play shortstop and hit eighth in his major-league debut.
Seager, 21, joins the Dodgers after an impressive stint with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where the highly touted shortstop hit .276/.331/.450 with 13 homers and 29 doubles in 104 games this season.
The Dodgers' first-round selection in 2012, 18th overall, is the younger brother of Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager. He's currently ranked the No. 1 prospect in the majors, according to Baseball America and FanGraphs.
Seager, a left-handed hitting infielder with power and a strong arm, moved quickly through the Dodgers' minor-league system since debuting in 2012, eventually forcing his way up to Triple-A this season after posting a .974 OPS with seven homers in 58 games.
| Minors | PA | 2B | HR | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 479 | 36 | 22 | .372 | .560 |
| AA | 247 | 23 | 7 | .390 | .583 |
| AAA | 459 | 29 | 13 | .331 | .450 |
At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Seager possesses tremendous size for a shortstop, but scouts believe he projects better as a third baseman due to his lack of explosive speed and quickness for a position up the middle.
Seager's promotion is reportedly motivated by Jose Peraza's sore hamstring, which will likely keep the infielder out for several games. With Kike Hernandez also sidelined, Seager becomes the only healthy backup shortstop on the roster, though he could pry at-bats away from the slumping Jimmy Rollins against right-handed pitching. The veteran switch hitter has performed better of late, but has just 36 walks in 127 games this season while sporting a .598 OPS against righties.