The Rangers reported earlier this week that third baseman Josh Jung had fractured his wrist after being struck by a pitch, but there was no definitive schedule for his return until today. General manager Chris Young tells the Rangers beat that while early x-rays suggested a six-week schedule, Jung’s wrist surgery was more complicated than expected. The team now estimates that his rehabilitation will take eight to ten weeks.
Losing Jung for more than two months is a significant challenge for the reigning World Series winners to overcome. Jung, an All-Star and fourth-place finisher in 2023’s AL Rookie of the Year voting, had a strong.271/.320/.483 batting line in 534 plate appearances dating back to previous season. He went 7-for-17 with two home runs in his first 19 plate appearances of the 2024 season, after missing the majority of spring training due to a calf ailment that held him out of the lineup. On top of that, Jung is regarded as a powerful defender at the hot corner, making him a well-rounded and important member of the Rangers’ regular lineup.
In the Rangers’ most recent game, Josh H. Smith started at third base, but Ezequiel Duran will start today, the team announced. That combo may form a platoon to cover third base in Jung’s absence, albeit Duran, a right-handed hitter, comes up against a right-handed pitcher today. Texas also called up prospect Justin Foscue for his MLB debut; while he’s a bat-first option with more experience at second base, he could also play third base in Jung’s absence.
Texas has been plagued by injuries in the early going of the season. It was already known that Jacob deGrom and offseason signee Tyler Mahle would be out for the first few months of the season due to 2023 Tommy John surgeries, but Max Scherzer’s offseason back surgery, Nathaniel Lowe’s spring oblique strain, and now Jung’s fractured wrist have all taken key contributors off the club roster.
