Amid Their August Surge, the Rangers Have Lost Josh Jung

No crew 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 begin this month, enabling them to increase their AL West lead over the Astros to 3 video games. Alas, they suffered a considerable blow alongside the best way, as rookie third baseman Josh Jung fractured his left thumb in Sunday’s recreation. He’ll bear surgical procedure to stabilize the damage, which may sideline him for the subsequent six weeks, however luckily the Rangers have the depth to face up to his absence.

The 25-year-old Jung injured himself whereas flattening a 109-mph line drive off the bat of the Marlins’ Jorge Soler within the sixth inning of Sunday’s recreation. The ball hit the bottom of the thumb of his glove hand and squirted out, however he had the presence of thoughts to get well it and step on third base for a pressure 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 obtained harm on that play,” said Bochy. “The calmness that he confirmed selecting up the ball, stepping on third … he didn’t grimace, he didn’t do something to make us assume that he was harm.”

Jung flew to Arizona to be evaluated by hand specialist Dr. Donald Sheridan, who beneficial the surgical process, which is able to seemingly contain the location of pins to stabilize the fracture. A six-week absence would convey him again round September 18, leaving him out there for the ultimate two weeks of the common season.

The damage interrupts what has been a wonderful season for Jung, a former first-round choose (2019), Prime 100 prospect (ninth on last year’s list, thirty first on this year’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 damage 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 received’t hold him out as lengthy, although he’s combating the clock a bit if his therapeutic proves to be gradual.

Jung’s loss is compounded by that of beginning catcher Jonah Heim, who additionally earned All-Star honors for the primary time this yr. 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 follow on the sector as of Tuesday, and can seemingly return to the lineup in some unspecified time in the future mid-month. The 2 absentees rank “solely” sixth and seventh on the crew by way of wRC+, as a result of the Rangers’ offense is an absolute juggernaut, with the majors’ highest scoring charge (5.78 runs per recreation) 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 crew can be with no third All-Star in starter Nathan Eovaldi, who’s working his manner again from a forearm pressure. The mixture of his damage and Jacob deGrom’s UCL tear spurred the Rangers’ aggressive method 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 enjoying shortstop, left discipline, third base, and second base. The 23-year-old Ornelas, who positioned twenty second on the team’s Top Prospects list 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 sprig hitter with out a lot energy. Velocity 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 menace to Jung’s job.

Probably the most fascinating 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 charge as one of many majors’ most improved gamers this season. After coming into final season because the no. 68 prospect on our Prime 100 record, Duran made the soar from Double-A Frisco to the majors in early June, then bounced forwards and backwards between Spherical Rock and Arlington a few instances. 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 charge, 27.3% strikeout charge), he’s additionally hitting the ball a lot tougher this yr:

Duran has accomplished a a lot better job of elevating the corridor, unlocking his 60-grade uncooked energy to hit 14 residence runs to go together with his .277/.322/.474 (117 wRC+) line. In truth, amongst gamers with no less than 200 PA final yr and 300 PA this yr, his 4.5-mph acquire in exit velocity is the highest in the majors, as is his 14.5-point soar in hard-hit charge. In the meantime, his 6.3-point improve in barrel charge 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 kinds for the Rangers. He started the season in a left discipline 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 current absence for a sprained proper thumb. In all, Duran has performed 36 video games at shortstop, 25 in left discipline, 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 damage is that it couldn’t solely value him the AL Rookie of the Yr award, it may value the Rangers a draft choose through the Prospect Promotion Incentive from final yr’s Collective Bargaining Settlement. As a result of Jung was a Prime 100 prospect with a spot on the Opening Day roster, he would internet the Rangers an additional draft choose after the primary spherical if he had been to win Rookie of the Yr or end within the high 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 top 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 recreation. The mixture of their roster additions and their current 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 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 received’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.