The Rangers introduced Sunday afternoon that they’ve positioned third baseman Josh Jung on the 10-day injured record attributable to neck spasms. The transfer is retroactive to March 29, that means Jung will first be eligible for activation on April 7. Infielder Jonathan Ornelas was recalled from the minors in a corresponding transfer.
It’s a irritating flip of occasions for Jung, because the 27-year-old was seeking to get off to a powerful begin this 12 months after having his 2024 season derailed by a fractured wrist on April 1 of final 12 months. He gained’t even make it to April this 12 months with out being positioned on the shelf. As worrisome an indication as which may be, all indications from group officers have recommended Jung’s present ailment will not be notably critical. As Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning Information famous, supervisor Bruce Bochy instructed reporters that he expects Jung to require solely a minimal keep on the injured record.
Jung’s newest journey to the injured record doesn’t point out the severity of his neck drawback, because the membership was viewing him as day-to-day as lately as Saturday (as famous by MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry). The choice to position Jung on the shelf, it appears stems not from Jung’s damage however slightly a problem utility man Josh Smith is affected by. Smith was enjoying third base throughout Saturday’s recreation however, as famous by McFarland, left the sport with a left quad contusion after colliding with the wall in foul territory. Smith is presently thought of day-to-day however is out of the lineup Sunday because of the problem.
With Jung and Smith down in the interim, the Rangers felt they wanted extra cowl on the infield, prompting them to position Jung on the shelf to carry Ornelas as much as the majors. The 24-year-old has simply 26 video games beneath his belt within the majors over the previous two years and presents little offensive upside, however is a powerful defender throughout the infield with the pace to steal 15 bases in a season. Ornelas can fill a utility function for the membership whereas Ezequiel Duran and (when wholesome sufficient to return to the lineup) Smith cowl for Jung at first base.
Dropping Jung, the membership’s choice with the eighth general choose within the 2019 draft, stings for the lineup. The 27-year-old loved a breakout marketing campaign in 2023, the place he was named an All-Star and completed fourth in AL Rookie of the 12 months voting. For the reason that begin of that season, Jung has slashed a powerful .267/.311/.454 throughout 170 video games within the majors and was off to a scorching begin this 12 months with three hits in his first seven at-bats. Thankfully, Smith needs to be a wonderfully sufficient alternative as soon as he’s again within the lineup, as he had a breakout season of his final 12 months, hitting .258/.337/.394 in 592 journeys to the plate whereas serving in a super-utility function. Smith’s versatility and strong bat earned him the AL Silver Slugger award for utility gamers final 12 months, and he figures to fill an identical function in 2025 once more.
