ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers have kept Joc Pederson off the injured list in hopes he can contribute before the regular season ends, even if only in the final game. President of baseball operations Chris Young said Monday he could not say when that would be. Young gave the update on 105.3 The Fan’s G-Bag Nation on the team’s off day.
Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt hit Pederson with a fastball Sept. 12 at Chase Field. X-rays came back negative, and further testing found a small fracture in his left hand, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reported. The designated hitter has not played since.
“We’ve kept him alive,” Young said. “We have not put him on the IL to this point because we’re hopeful that he will be able to contribute at some point, even if it’s for the last game of the season and that game matters. We would love to have Joc in the lineup or even available to pinch-hit, but at this point I cannot tell you with certainty as to when that’s going to be.
“Joc is doing everything he can,” Young continued. “He’s been amazing, too. Joc’s energy and his positivity with the guys and support of his teammates has been awesome. He’s keeping the boys up every day. So he’s making contributions in spite of not being in the lineup, and it’s just awesome leadership to see.
“We’re hoping that tomorrow he’ll come in and feel a little bit better, and we can advance some more hitting,” Young added. “But we’ve got to let that pain and swelling calm down, and we don’t want to put him in harm’s way any further. So I can’t say today. Maybe tomorrow I’ll have a better update.”
Joc Pederson’s Hand Fracture And Recovery Timeline
A week ago, on the same program, Young said the club was hopeful Pederson had avoided a broken bone. On Thursday, Pederson said the pain had gone from “sharp” to “dull.” He said he was still “a couple of days at the absolute quickest” from swinging a bat, The Dallas Morning News reported. That afternoon, he walked the Globe Life Field clubhouse holding a bat of about 12 ounces, MLB.com reported.
Texas has six games left. A 10-day injured list placement backdated the maximum three days would run past the Sept. 27 regular-season finale.
Pederson has hit 26 home runs, one behind team leader Jake Burger. He is batting .235/.329/.487 with 53 RBIs in 136 games. Against right-handed pitching, he has slashed .245/.338/.496 with 25 home runs.
Chris Young On Joc Pederson’s Toughness
Pederson missed two months last season after a pitch fractured his right hand in May. He batted .181/.285/.328 with 9 home runs and 26 RBIs in 96 games that year, his first in Texas. He signed a two-year, $37 million contract before the 2025 season that includes an $18.5 million mutual option for 2027.
“Really, to any fan, think about that, what that means, and he’s got a broken bone in his wrist and he’s trying to go swing a baseball bat and thinking about getting back in the lineup as soon as he possibly can,” Young explained. “Really the only thing inhibiting him right now is the swelling in that wrist, but from a toughness standpoint, I have great admiration for all professional athletes and what they put their bodies through.
“It’s really not normal, and they do it for the chance to compete for championships, and Joc is thinking the same way,” Young continued.
Texas (78-78) leads the Houston Astros by one game in the American League West, and Houston holds the tiebreaker. The New York Mets start left-hander Sean Manaea at 7:05 p.m. CT Tuesday and right-hander Nolan McLean at 1:35 p.m. CT Thursday.
