Viral Meningitis and Seager's IL Stint: The Rangers' Season Is Already a Nightmare

Yo, what is even happening in the AL West right now?! Seriously, you won't believe the luck the Texas Rangers are having. It's rough out there, folks, and these early season trends are NOT looking good for them. One of their star players is out with an inflamed back, and another just got hit with viral meningitis. Yeah, you read that right. Viral meningitis. This is brutal, truly brutal, and it's already making their season feel like a total nightmare.

Rangers Facing a Brutal Injury Bug Early On

It's one thing to have a few bumps and bruises, but the Rangers are getting absolutely hammered. Corey Seager, their star shortstop, just hit the 15-day injured list on Monday with lower back inflammation. The dude hasn't played since going 0-for-4 last Wednesday against Arizona, and his manager, Skip Schumaker, is playing it smart, but the quote says it all: "Backs are tricky. I'm not going to push this thing to where we'll then miss a significant amount of time. But hopefully it's pretty quick." That's a good call, but Seager's had a rough injury run, missing most of 2025 after an appendectomy and not playing more than 123 games since his first season with Texas in 2022. And if that wasn't bad enough, it gets worse! Second baseman Josh Smith, who was already out on the 10-day IL on May 5 because of lower body and wrist injuries, was diagnosed with viral meningitis last Friday. VIRAL MENINGITIS! He's hospitalized, likely for at least a week. The Rangers have already lost three of their last four games, and they just recalled Michael Helman from Triple-A to make his season debut. He went 1-for-2 against the Rockies on Monday, but man, those are some massive shoes to fill. You gotta wonder how long they can keep this up.

The Rockies Are Rolling Against the American League West? What?

While the Rangers are battling a medical crisis, the Colorado Rockies, who just played them on a cold, damp night in Denver, are actually trying to string together a rare home series win. They haven't done that since sweeping Houston in early April. They snagged a 7-6 victory on Monday, and for Tuesday's game, they're turning to left-hander Sammy Peralta, who's making his season debut as an opener. He was called up from Triple-A and posted a 7.59 ERA last season, with a 6.23 ERA without a decision in three career relief appearances against the Rangers. Texas is sending right-hander Kumar Rocker, who's 1-4 with a 4.34 ERA, to the mound for his first appearance against Colorado. Here's the wild part: the Rockies are playing surprisingly well against American League West teams. After Monday's win, they're 5-2 against our division! And overall, they're 7-3 against the AL, including series victories against the Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays. It's like they have our number, which is something for us in the Emerald City to note. The Rockies aren't completely unscathed, though. Outfielder Jordan Beck, who had a breakout season in 2025 with 16 home runs in 148 games, is out with a left hamstring strain. He's struggled this year, batting just .183 with one homer and more strikeouts (22) than hits (15). His manager, Warren Schaeffer, said Beck "just hasn't gotten the opportunities he wants so far, but he's still a really good baseball player in my opinion." This opened the door for Sterlin Thompson, who made his major league debut with a pinch-hit appearance last Friday and got his first big-league hit on Monday night. Tonight's game is a big one for Colorado to grab that rare home series win. But for the Rangers, with Seager and Smith sidelined by such serious issues, you have to wonder what's at stake for their entire season. Can they tread water long enough for their stars to come back, or are these injuries going to completely derail their hopes before we even hit summer? Keep your eyes peeled, folks!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.