MLB teams
Mark Saxon, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Corey Seager debuts for Dodgers, goes 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs, 2 runs scored

MLB, Los Angeles Dodgers

SAN DIEGO -- The Los Angeles Dodgers called up their top prospect, infielder Corey Seager, who started at shortstop and made quite an impression in Thursday night's 10-7 loss to the San Diego Padres.

Seager struck out in his first big league at-bat but picked up a hit in his second plate appearance, pulling a Colin Rea pitch into the right-field corner for a double in the fifth inning. He later scored on Joc Pederson's infield single. 

In the sixth inning, Seager hit a go-ahead two-run single to center, advancing to second on the throw. He then scored his second run of the game on Justin Ruggiano's RBI single. 

Seager finished the game 2-for-4.

Seager, 21, got word of his promotion from his minor league manager, Damon Berryhill, shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday and said he did not sleep after that. He caught a few hours of shut-eye on the flight from Oklahoma City to San Diego. His parents, Jeff and Jody, were able to get a flight out of North Carolina in time for Thursday's game.

Seager said his older brother, Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager, was among his first phone calls after learning he was getting called up. Kyle Seager's advice was to show up 15 minutes earlier than he normally would to soak up the major league environment.

"I really didn't know if it was going to happen this year or not, but thankfully, it has and I'm here, so I'll try to make the most of it, and it's an exciting time right now," Corey Seager said.

Seager's North Carolina high school team tweeted Thursday that he would be called up to "the Show."

The Dodgers, who have a 6½-game lead in the National League West, weren't planning on promoting Seager this soon, but they sped up his timeline a bit when Enrique Hernandez went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring, and, a few days later, speedy second baseman Jose Peraza reported tightness in his left hamstring after Tuesday night's game.

"You can't always time it perfectly, but I think he had a good year developmentally, and it got to the point where we kind of needed him here," Dodgers vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes said.

Seager has primarily played shortstop, but he did start 19 games at third base this season.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Seager will start at third base Friday night to give Justin Turner a day off. The plan is to use him primarily at third base to spell Turner, who has dealt with intermittent knee soreness much of the season. Mattingly said he thinks the excitement of Seager's arrival could help the Dodgers avoid a letdown after their big three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants before this series.

"You can't have the success he had down there without being able to play," Mattingly said. "I think what has a chance to set him apart is just his demeanor. It's really good. Everything's a good vibe with him. He's a humble kid, but he's also confident. It's not like he's afraid. Really, the baseball IQ from what we've been able to see is really good. He's got a really good feel for the game. The intangibles you like about Corey is where you think he has a chance to separate him from some other guys."

Seager was ranked as the No. 5 prospect in baseball entering this season by ESPN MLB Insider Keith Law, and No. 1 in Law's updated rankings in July. The four players ranked ahead of Seager on the preseason list -- Kris Bryant, Byron Buxton Carlos Correa and Addison Russell -- have already been called up to the majors.

Seager, the No. 18 pick in the 2012 draft, has batted .293 with 18 home runs and an .831 OPS in 124 games between Double-A and Triple-A this season. A 6-foot-4 infielder who bats left-handed, he was on a tear of late, going 11-for-35 with six extra-base hits in his past 10 games.

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