Braves vs. Rangers Monday MLB injury report, odds: Cody Bradford set for big-league debut, Corey Seager likely to be activated by Texas

The Texas Rangers have a four-game lead atop the AL West despite that fact that ace Jacob deGrom has pitched only 30.1 innings due to injury and All-Star shortstop Corey Seager has played in just 11 games. While deGrom is not expected back for about three weeks, Seager is likely to be activated off the injured list ahead of Monday's home matchup against NL East-leading Atlanta, which is -140 at Caesars Sportsbook. The game will feature the MLB debut of Seager's teammate Cody Bradford.

Seager was off to a red-hot start with a .359 and .469 on-base percentage when he went down on April 11 at home against Kansas City with left hamstring tightness. The former NL Rookie of the Year was running between first and second base after hitting an opposite-field double into the left-field corner and pulled up after a few steps past first base and gingerly went to second. Seager has played three rehab games at Double-A Frisco, going 2-for-8 with two RBI, before getting Sunday off.

Ezequiel Duran has hit well in Seager's spot and the Rangers want to keep his bat in the lineup, so Duran could be at designated hitter going forward – although the team in theory could put Seager there at first to ease his transition.

The Rangers have gone 18-11 since Seager left the lineup and are 25-15 overall, the first time the team is 10 games over .500 since it was 46-36 on June 28, 2019. Texas is off to its best start through 40 games since 2013, when the club began the season by going 26-14. It been alone or tied atop the division for 44 of the season's first 45 days.

The team has called up the lefty Bradford to make his debut tonight on the mound. Bradford may be around for just the one start, as the Rangers are 10 games into a stretch of 13 games in 13 consecutive days and wanted to give their other starters a break on top of deGrom's injury.

Bradford's hometown of Aledo is about 40 minutes west of Globe Life Field and he played collegiately at Baylor in Waco. This year at Triple-A Round Rock, Bradford was 5-1 with a 0.91 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and a .156 opponent batting average. The 25-year-old, a sixth-round pick in 2019, is ranked as the team's No. 26 prospect. 

Atlanta enters on a season-high four-game losing streak and was swept over the weekend in Toronto. It turns to veteran Charlie Morton (4-3, 3.32 ERA). Seager is 0-for-2 in his career off Morton. 

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