Texas Rangers star shortstop Corey Seager was out of the lineup again on Sunday and was sent to get an MRI exam on his ailing back.

Seager's back prevented him from playing in Saturday's 4-1 loss against the host Houston Astros. He was held out of Friday's game for rest and began having back pain Saturday morning.

Seager told reporters on Sunday that his back was still too locked up to play.

Earlier, he had lobbied Texas manager Skip Schumaker to put his name in the starting lineup.

"He was in here before I got here," Schumaker said. "I got here early, and he was here before me trying to get in the lineup."

Seager, 32, is batting just .179 this season and is hitless in a career-worst 27 consecutive at-bats. He has seven home runs and 20 RBIs in 42 games.

Seager is in his fifth season with Texas and was named World Series MVP in 2023 when the Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games. He was the runner-up for regular-season MVP honors behind Shohei Ohtani, then of the Los Angeles Angels.

Seager also was World Series MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020. He is a five-time All-Star.