Josh Jung Suffers Fractured Right Hand

Josh Jung was hit in the right hand by a Joe Ryan pitch in the first inning of the Rangers’ 10-2 loss to the Twins on Friday.  Jung (in the lineup as the designated hitter) remained in the game to run the bases and eventually scored on Wyatt Langford’s RBI groundout, but Alejandro Osuna pinch-hit for Jung during his next scheduled at-bat in the third inning.

The postgame report from manager Skip Schumaker (to the Dallas Morning News’ Shawn McFarland and other media) confirmed the worst, as Jung sustained a fracture in his right hand.  The exact nature and severity of the injury will be determined by further tests, but needless to say, Jung won’t be available for the Rangers’ final two regular-season games.  If Texas manages to win the AL West and qualify for the postseason, Jung is unlikely to heal up in time to play any role even in an extended playoff run.

Despite matching 79-81 records, the Rangers and Astros remain in a battle for the AL West crown, with Houston in first place due to the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage.  The division champ will become the first playoff team in MLB history with a non-winning record, yet that detail is surely irrelevant for both clubs — particularly a Rangers club trying to return to the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2023.

Losing Jung is a terrible blow to Texas’ chances at the division title.  The third baseman is hitting .299/.365/.462 with 12 home runs over 444 plate appearances, which translates to a team-leading 136 wRC+.  It isn’t a reach to suggest that the Rangers might already have the AL West clinched if Jung hadn’t missed over seven weeks due to a left calf strain.  Jung has been red-hot since returning from the injured list on September 12, with a 1.032 OPS over his last 48 PA.

Ezequiel Duran is the likeliest candidate to assume third base duty in Jung’s absence, while Justin Foscue could be in line for most second-base duty along with Nicky Lopez.  Right-handers Bailey Ober and Dean Kremer are Minnesota’s scheduled starters for the next two games, and Foscue has struggled against righties while crushing lefties this season.

This is the second time that a hit-by-pitch has resulted in a major injury for Jung, as a right wrist fracture in 2024 led to two surgeries (both during and after the season) and limited him to only 46 games played that year.  Jung was an All-Star in 2023 and this season’s numbers are the best of his five-year MLB career, but between these wrist/hand problems, the calf strain, and other injuries, health remains a significant subplot of Jung’s career.  Even if his hand fracture may not impact Jung’s readiness for the start of Spring Training, his offseason work will be significantly set back by the recovery process.

Joc Pederson was also lost to a fracture in his left hand just a couple of weeks ago, depriving the Texas lineup of another big bat.  Pederson told McFarland and other reporters that he is hoping to be ready for the playoffs if the Rangers win the AL West, and the veteran hit in the batting cages yesterday.  The weekend plan includes facing a pitching machine today and then a live batting-practice session on Sunday, as Pederson aims to be available for the start of the AL wild card series on Tuesday.