Josh Jung blasted two home runs for the Triple-A Round Rock Express on Tuesday, a day after the Texas Rangers fired manager Chris Woodward and talked about “building momentum” for 2023.
The Rangers’ top hitting prospect, who had a great first week with the Express after a rehab assignment in Arizona, now has an average of .400 in his short stint with the Express.
His first home run on Tuesday came with the Express already up 2-0 on El Paso and went into the center field batter’s eye area of Dell Diamond. With two runners on, that pushed the Express lead to 5-0.
It was the second home run that required the Express to bring out the tape measure. This home run came with the Express up 5-1 and went 439 feet to the roof of the batter’s eye in center. The ball rolled off the roof and back onto the field as he picked up three more RBI.
Jung finished the night 3-for-5 with six RBI and two runs scored.
Before Tuesday’s game with El Paso, Jung wrapped up his first week with the Express hitting .350.
His numbers with the Arizona Complex League Rangers were just as good. He played eight games during a rehab assignment, batting .240/.345/.600/.945 with three home runs and five RBI.
Jung, the Texas Rangers’ No. 2 overall prospect, is working his way back from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. That surgery, back in February, derailed any possibility that he might be able to make the Rangers’ Opening Day roster in 2022.
But with the Rangers well out of the playoff race and starting to look toward 2023, there may come an opportunity in the next two months to finally bring their one of their most prized prospects to Arlington for a test drive. The elevation of Tony Beasley to interim manager, and the Rangers’ desire to figure out their roster for 2023, may give Jung that chance.
During Jung’s absence, the Rangers have used several players at third base, including current Rangers Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith, both of which are rookies and were acquired last year in the Joey Gallo trade.
In 2021, Jung missed about eight weeks due to a stress fracture. But he hit well in the minors, including batting.308/.366/.544 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI over 43 games with Double-A Frisco last season. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A, where he batted 348/.436/.652 with nine home runs, 21 RBI and 14 doubles in 35 games.
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