Corey Seager did not play baseball for much of March. Sidelined because of a sore oblique muscle, on some days his physical activity did not expand beyond the low intensity of riding an elliptical machine or walking on a treadmill. When he did appear in games, he played against minor-league competition in a controlled, low-key environment.
While Seager idled, his Dodgers teammates laughed about his need to engage in the tedium of spring training. For a player like Seager — who was the National League rookie of theyear in 2016 and finished third in the Most Valuable Player voting — the Cactus League offers far more risk than reward.