Rangers Make Unfortunate Decision on Josh Jung

Manager Skip Schumaker provided an update on Friday that revealed Jung was unable to run at full speed during pre-game warmups. He was kept out of the lineup against the Seattle Mariners and placed on the IL on Saturday afternoon. The Rangers recalled infielder Josh Smith from Triple-A Round Rock, who will make the start on Saturday against the Mariners.

Jung joins Corey Seager on the IL, leaving the left side of the Rangers' infield severely depleted for at least the next couple of weeks. Seager has been on the IL since July 1 with back discomfort for his third stint of an injury-riddled season for the veteran. Despite this, the Rangers have remained competitive and have moved into the top spot in the division.

Jung, 28, has picked up the slack on offense in Seager's absence. In 92 games this year, Jung is slashing .294/.361/.441, with nine home runs and 35 RBI. Jung leads the Rangers in total hits (104), doubles (23), runs scored (46), and OPS (.802). If Jung can continue with this production, he would set new career highs in OPS, batting average, and total hits in a season.

For now, it appears that Smith will fill in at third base, while shortstop duties will be split between Lopez and Ezequiel Duran. The Rangers have not provided any timeline for Jung's return, but strained calves can be tricky to heal from. New York Mets superstar Juan Soto also went on the IL on Saturday with a strained calf, and his initial timeline for return is 4 to 6 weeks, per The New York Post.

Given that the Rangers are in a playoff spot and the Mets are not, we could see the team bring Jung back as early as possible. The Mets do not have much incentive to rush Soto back onto the field, while the Rangers are expecting to be in a dogfight in the AL West until the end of September.