Rookie Third Baseman Josh Jung to Undergo Surgery, Could Miss Six Weeks
OAKLAND — The Texas Rangers have received a major blow as they prepare for their first playoff berth since 2016. Rookie third baseman Josh Jung will undergo surgery on his fractured left thumb and could potentially miss approximately six weeks. However, the team remains hopeful for his return this season.
Jung sustained the injury while turning a key double play in Sunday’s 6-0 victory over the Miami Marlins. As a result, he was placed on the 10-day injured list ahead of the Rangers’ opener in Oakland on Monday night. After being assessed by hand specialist Dr. Donald Sheridan in Arizona, Jung was recommended to undergo a procedure to stabilize the fracture at the base of his left thumb. The surgery is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday.
Manager Bruce Bochy stated that the timeline for Jung’s return is around six weeks but added that it could be a little sooner or slightly beyond that. With eight weeks remaining until Game 162, any setbacks could potentially lead to an early end to Jung’s regular season.
However, Bochy remains optimistic, saying, “I think he will be joining us before the season’s over.”
Jung has been phenomenal for the Rangers in his first full season in the big leagues and is a strong contender for the American League Rookie of the Year Award. As a 25-year-old, he leads all rookies with 22 home runs and has started 107 out of Texas’ 112 games.
Bochy expressed his disappointment, “I feel awful. He was just having an incredible year. The thing is, with him too, it was workload concerns, you know, the load management, with how much we could play him because he really hadn’t been through a season like this. And here he was in August, playing some of his best baseball.”
Without Jung at third base, the Rangers will look to Ezequiel Duran, Josh H. Smith, and Jonathan Ornelas to fill the void. Ornelas, ranked as Texas’ No. 14 prospect per MLB Pipeline, received his first Major League callup as a corresponding move for Jung’s injured list stint.
The defensive abilities of the players will play a significant role in determining who assumes the starting position. Bochy acknowledged that none of the leading options have had much experience at third base this season. Smith has appeared in five games at third, while Duran has played there twice. Ornelas made four appearances at the hot corner with Triple-A Round Rock.
The Rangers have shown resilience throughout the season, managing to stay atop the AL West despite injuries to key players. Currently, Jung joins fellow 2023 All-Stars Jonah Heim and Nathan Eovaldi on the injured list. The team hopes that their versatile roster will enable them to overcome this adversity and continue their success in Jung’s absence.
“I think that’s a good thing about this team, is we do have that depth,” Smith said. “It’s never good when two of your All-Stars go down, you know. We’re wishing Josh the best. We’re hoping he can get back by the end of the year to help us make a run. While he’s out, hopefully some guys will step up.”