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Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung suffered a fractured wrist after being struck by a pitch that he swung at during the late stages of Monday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Bruce Bochy told reporters, including MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry, after the game.
Jung, 26, had been off to a hot start. In his first three games, he had hit .308/.400/.769 (226 OPS+) with a home run, a double, and a triple to go with two runs batted in. He added to those marks prior to his departure on Monday night, recording three hits, including his second home run of the year, as well as four more RBI.
According to Baseball Prospectus’ database, broken wrists have cost players more than 50 days on average. That doesn’t mean Jung will miss that amount of time — every injury is unique — but it does suggest that the Rangers could be without their starting third baseman for close to two months.
It’s to be seen who the Rangers turn to at the hot corner during Jung’s absence. Josh Smith replaced him on Monday night, but Texas has a number of other options. Those include Ezequiel Duran (already on the active roster), as well as former first-round picks Justin Foscue and Davis Wendzel and veteran minor-league signing Matt Duffy.
Jung is, unfortunately, no stranger to significant injuries. He missed more than 40 days last season after suffering a fractured thumb in August. He’s also been sidelined before by a stress fracture in his foot and a torn labrum in his shoulder that required surgery and a lengthy recovery period.
Jung is the latest in a string of notable Rangers injuries. Texas is also without starting first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and right-handed starters Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Tyler Mahle.
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