Josh Jung to Miss Time with Calf Strain

By Nate Miller

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

February 17, 2024

The Texas Rangers got some tough news to start spring training, as third baseman Josh Jung has had a setback. Kennedi Landry of MLB.com was the first to report this development. Jung had some discomfort while fielding ground balls Friday morning after arriving in Surprise, Ariz., earlier that day. He underwent an MRI, showing a low-grade calf strain, according to manager Bruce Bochy. The Rangers expect Jung to miss a minimum of two to three weeks. They will continue to evaluate him during that time period. The good news is that he is expected to be ready for Opening Day.

Same Story

This isn’t the first time that Josh Jung has gone down with an injury early in spring training. It is the third year that has started with an injury to the 26-year-old third baseman. He sustained a stress fracture in his foot going into camp in 2021 and then tore a labrum in his non-throwing shoulder during camp in ’22. His physical health has been the only thing holding Jung back in his career. He hit .266/.315/.467 with 23 homers in his first full major league season in 2023, but again landed on the injured list for six weeks with a fractured left thumb.

“He’s a tough kid,” Bochy said. “He’s had to deal with a lot of tough luck. We saw it last year, but I think timing is probably as good as it can be if you’re going to have something like this happening. So I’m sure he’s disappointed but yes, we’ll be ready. We’ll do all we can to help him get there.”

Future Glimpse

The Rangers have plenty to be excited about as they begin their drive to back-to-back World Series titles. Outfielder Wyatt Langford will have a chance to make the 26-man roster coming out of camp, according to Bochy. Langford made the rounds last year, as he spent time at the Rookie, High-A, Double-A, Triple-A levels. Over a stretch of 161 at-bats, Langford hit .360 with 10 homers, 12 stolen bases, and a 1.157 OPS. He walked 36 times, and struck out 34 times.

The Rangers drafted Langford fourth overall in July and then watched him obliterate four levels of the minors. This has put him in the conversation for a big-league job already. If there’s a flaw, it’s not on the offensive side, where his impeccable strike-zone judgment and picture-perfect swing could make him a triple-slash threat along the lines of a Joey Votto or Juan Soto.