Amid Their August Surge, the Rangers Have Misplaced Josh Jung

No staff has come out of the August 1 commerce deadline hotter than the Texas Rangers. Not solely did they make substantial additions to their roster — most notably by including Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery to their rotation — however they’ve reeled off a season-high eight-game successful streak to start out this month, enabling them to broaden their AL West lead over the Astros to a few video games. Alas, they suffered a considerable blow alongside the way in which, as rookie third baseman Josh Jung fractured his left thumb in Sunday’s sport. He’ll endure surgical procedure to stabilize the harm, which might sideline him for the subsequent six weeks, however thankfully the Rangers have the depth to resist his absence.

The 25-year-old Jung injured himself whereas pulling down a 109-mph line drive off the bat of the Marlins’ Jorge Soler within the sixth inning of Sunday’s sport. The ball hit the bottom of the thumb of his glove hand and squirted out, however he had the presence of thoughts to recuperate it and step on third base for a power out, then throw to second to finish a double play.

One batter later, Jung left the sport, to the shock of supervisor Bruce Bochy. “I went out to the mound, I had no concept he acquired damage on that play,” mentioned Bochy. “The calmness that he confirmed choosing up the ball, stepping on third … he didn’t grimace, he didn’t do something to make us assume that he was damage.”

Jung flew to Arizona to be evaluated by hand specialist Dr. Donald Sheridan, who advisable the surgical process, which can doubtless contain the position of pins to stabilize the fracture. A six-week absence would deliver him again round September 18, leaving him obtainable for the ultimate two weeks of the common season.

The harm interrupts what has been a superb season for Jung, a former first-round decide (2019), High 100 prospect (ninth on final 12 months’s record, thirty first on this 12 months’s), and first-time All-Star. Jung’s 22 homers lead all rookies, whereas his 2.7 WAR is tied for fourth amongst rookie place gamers, and tied for first amongst these within the AL:

Jung is sadly no stranger to accidents and surgical procedures. He went underneath the knife to restore a stress fracture in his left foot in early 2021 and didn’t make his season debut till June 15. He underwent surgical procedure to restore a torn labrum in his left shoulder — an harm suffered whereas weightlifting — in February 2022 and didn’t make his season debut till July 28, although he did get a September cup of espresso within the majors. The fracture gained’t hold him out as lengthy, although he’s preventing the clock a bit if his therapeutic proves to be sluggish.

Jung’s loss is compounded by that of beginning catcher Jonah Heim, who additionally earned All-Star honors for the primary time this 12 months. The 28-year-old Heim, who has hit for a 123 wRC+ (.280/.337/.479) whereas beginning 80 video games behind the plate, landed on the IL retroactive to July 27 on account of a strained tendon in his left wrist; he’s progressed to the purpose of taking batting apply on the sector as of Tuesday, and can doubtless return to the lineup in some unspecified time in the future mid-month. The 2 absentees rank “solely” sixth and seventh on the staff by way of wRC+, as a result of the Rangers’ offense is an absolute juggernaut, with the majors’ highest scoring fee (5.78 runs per sport) and wRC+ (122). The lineup is so deep that 11 of the 12 gamers who’ve gotten no less than 150 PA have hit for a 99 wRC+ or higher, with outfielder/DH Robbie Grossman (92 wRC+) the one one lacking out on the celebration. On the opposite aspect of the ball, the staff can also be with no third All-Star in starter Nathan Eovaldi, who’s working his method again from a forearm pressure. The mix of his harm and Jacob deGrom’s UCL tear spurred the Rangers’ aggressive strategy to upgrading their rotation forward of the deadline.

In Jung’s absence, the Rangers plan to have Ezequiel Duran, Josh H. Smith and Jonathan Ornelas share the workload at third base. The 26-year-old Smith, the lone lefty swinger of the trio, has emerged as a helpful utilityman in his second main league season, hitting .214/.344/.349 (101 wRC+) whereas taking part in shortstop, left subject, third base, and second base. The 23-year-old Ornelas, who positioned twenty second on the staff’s High Prospects record a month in the past, was recalled from Triple-A Spherical Rock — the place he was hitting .250/.360/.348 (80 wRC+) — to take Jung’s roster spot. He’s a 40-FV prospect, a twig hitter with out a lot energy. Pace and protection are his calling playing cards. He has the arm power to play on the left aspect of the infield, albeit as a reserve; he’s no risk to Jung’s job.

Probably the most attention-grabbing one of many bunch is the 24-year-old Duran, who like Smith was acquired from the Yankees within the Joey Gallo commerce on July 29, 2021, and who has to fee as one of many majors’ most improved gamers this season. After getting into final season because the no. 68 prospect on our High 100 record, Duran made the leap from Double-A Frisco to the majors in early June, then bounced backwards and forwards between Spherical Rock and Arlington a few occasions. He hit simply .236/.277/.365 (82 wRC+) in 220 PA whereas chasing 42.1% of pitches out of the strike zone and punching out 24.5% of the time. Whereas he’s nonetheless hacking away (41.4% chase fee, 27.3% strikeout fee), he’s additionally hitting the ball a lot more durable this 12 months:

Duran has finished a a lot better job of elevating the corridor, unlocking his 60-grade uncooked energy to hit 14 dwelling runs to go together with his .277/.322/.474 (117 wRC+) line. Actually, amongst gamers with no less than 200 PA final 12 months and 300 PA this 12 months, his 4.5-mph achieve in exit velocity is the very best within the majors, as is his 14.5-point leap in hard-hit fee. In the meantime, his 6.3-point improve in barrel fee is tied with Sean Murphy for third behind Corey Seager (+8.6%) and Michael A. Taylor (6.6%), and his 35-point improve in wRC+ is ninth.

Duran’s versatility and newfound punch has made him a secret weapon of types for the Rangers. He started the season in a left subject platoon with Smith, and the pair quickly switched to filling in for Seager when the shortstop suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring pressure in mid-April. For the final three weeks of Seager’s five-week absence, Duran was the on a regular basis shortstop, and since then he’s remained within the combine at one place or one other, together with extra time at quick throughout Seager’s latest absence for a sprained proper thumb. In all, Duran has performed 36 video games at shortstop, 25 in left subject, 19 at DH, 4 apiece at second and third, two at first, and one in proper. No phrase on whether or not he owns a catchers mitt.

Again to Jung. One bummer about his harm is that it couldn’t solely price him the AL Rookie of the 12 months award, it might price the Rangers a draft decide by way of the Prospect Promotion Incentive from final 12 months’s Collective Bargaining Settlement. As a result of Jung was a High 100 prospect with a spot on the Opening Day roster, he would internet the Rangers an additional draft decide after the primary spherical if he have been to win Rookie of the 12 months or end within the prime three of MVP voting.

Proper now, that’s of secondary concern to the Rangers, who jumped out to a 40-20 begin however then went 20-26 from June 7 to the tip of July as their lead over the Astros dwindled from a excessive of six and a half video games all the way down to half a sport. The mix of their roster additions and their latest surge has improved their odds of successful the AL West from 39.7% to 48.7%, and of creating the playoffs from 75.1% to 90.8%. The rest of the AL West race seems to be extra of a dash between the 2 Texas groups than a dogfight, as they face one another just for a three-game collection in Arlington from September 4-6. Jung gained’t be again in time for that, but when his surgical procedure and therapeutic goes in line with plan, he ought to be capable to assist Texas sew up its first playoff spot in seven years.