Josh Jung surgery revealed more bad injury news for the Rangers
By Curt Bishop
The defending World Series champion Texas Rangers were dealt a significant blow on Monday night when star third baseman Josh Jung was hit by a pitch on his hand and forced to exit their game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Jung was placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and scheduled for surgery. He was given a timetable of six weeks before his return. However, during the surgery, a red flag popped up.
According to general manager Chris Young, more damage was revealed during the surgery. Now, instead of six weeks, Jung will need 8-10 weeks after the x-rays showed just how severe the injury is.
Kennedi Landry, who covers the Rangers on MLB.com, provided this update on Twitter earlier today.
Rangers GM Chris Young said Josh Jung had successful surgery, but when the surgeon went in there, it revealed a bit more extensive damage.
— kennedi landry (@kennlandry) April 3, 2024
The timeline is looking more like 8-10 weeks, instead of the initial six they thought after the x-rays
Rangers get more bad news on Josh Jung
Jung was off to a hot start this season, hitting .412 with two home runs, six RBI, and a 1.415 OPS, so this is quite a major blow for the Rangers. The 26-year-old was a key factor in the team's run to the World Series last October and helped the Rangers secure their first title in franchise history.
In a corresponding move, the Rangers called up second baseman Justin Foscue. Foscue was the No. 14 pick in the 2020 draft. The 25-year-old has a slash line of .275/.379/.496 in the minor leagues. Fortunately, Jung's surgery was a success, but the news of a more severe fracture after further analysis is devastating to the defending World Series champions.
"Obviously, it's not the best news, but nonetheless, he did have a good surgery, and they were able to repair the damage," said Young. "It stinks, but nonetheless, we'll get him back at some point.
This also is devastating for Jung, who has struggled to stay healthy over the past few seasons. He missed significant time in 2023 due to a thumb fracture suffered in August. The young third baseman has also had to fight back from a stress fracture in his foot and a torn labrum in his shoulder.
Nathaniel Lowe is also on the injured list with a right oblique strain, which further complicates things for the Rangers early on in the 2024 season. The Rangers are going to need to get healthy if they want to defend their World Series title and take a shot at repeating.
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