Although the 2024 MLB season is still in its early stages, a few teams are already dealing with the all-too-common issue of injuries. On Monday night, it was the Texas Rangers’ turn to fall prey, with starting third baseman Josh Jung leaving their 9-3 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays after being hit on the wrist by a pitch while swinging.
A deeper look at Jung’s injury revealed that he suffered a fracture in his wrist, ruling him out for the foreseeable future, according to Kennedi Laundry of MLB.com. Manager Bruce Bochy is disappointed that something beyond Jung’s control has halted what has been a terrific start to the 2024 season for the 26-year-old third baseman.
“I just feel terrible. He’s had a lot of bad luck with injuries lately, which dampens this victory. He was carrying us today, especially with his playing style. He will be back. I spoke to him briefly. This stings, and I feel for the kid because he’s been through so much. “It will take some time, but he will return,” Bochy remarked.
It is currently uncertain when Josh Jung will return, though a doctor on Twitter (X) stated that the Rangers’ best-case scenario is for Jung to be away for six to eight weeks. That would have him returning in June or July, forcing him to miss a major amount of the 2024 season.
Josh Jung continues to be unfortunate with injuries.
One occupational hazard of playing baseball for a living is being hit by a hard object moving at speeds approaching 100 mph. However, Josh Jung has had his fair share of unlucky injury moments, with the wrist injury he suffered against the Rays being only the most recent in a lengthy series of injuries over the last several seasons.
As Landry noted out, Jung has missed three of the last four seasons due to ailments, including a strained left calf earlier this year in Spring Training. The sole positive lesson is that his injuries were not limited to a single body part; he had a fractured left foot, a torn labrum, a calf injury, and a wrist fracture.
“He’s had some bad luck again,” Bochy explained. “I just told him he would be back. He’s pretty sad, which is understandable given that he was just coming off a calf injury and was swinging the bat nicely. It’s difficult to deal with a setback after so many of them, but he has to keep assuring himself he’ll be back. He’s young. He’ll have a long career, and this is simply another minor setback for him.”
Rangers’ Third Base Situation outlook
After Josh Jung had to leave the game unexpectedly, the Rangers called on Josh Smith to pinch-hit for him. Smith, a 26-year-old bench player, appears to be more of a defensive option, as a casual check at his batting statistics suggests he may be a quick out if forced into regular action.
If anything, Fangraphs’ projections indicate that Ezequiel Duran may be a better choice to fill in the majority of innings at third base during Josh Jung’s absence. Duran had 14 home runs and 46 RBIs last season, batting.276/.324/.443 in 439 plate appearances at the age of 24.
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