WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Josh Jung was scheduled to run Sunday as the Texas Rangers third baseman continues working back from a strained left calf.
If everything checked out afterward, Jung would begin a defensive progression, manager Skip Schumaker said, according to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News.
The update comes two days after another round of imaging on Jung’s calf produced positive results.
Schumaker met with reporters Friday in West Sacramento.
“I don’t know how much baseball activity,” Schumaker said, “but at least some lower-half exercise — which means jogging, lifting, doing all that stuff to get his body ready, agility, all that stuff.”
Before Sunday’s game, Schumaker told Eric Nadel on Rangers Sports Network that Texas was getting good news on Jung and that his running progression sounded like it was in a better spot.
Josh Jung Has Been Out Since July 21
Jung has not played since July 21 against the Chicago White Sox. He singled and scored in the third inning, then left the game and did not return.
Texas put him on the 10-day injured list July 25, with the move retroactive to July 22. Jung became eligible to return Aug. 1 but remained out as the calf continued to limit his activity.
Earlier this month, Schumaker said Jung’s recovery had not been moving in the direction the Rangers wanted. As recently as Tuesday, there was no new timetable for him.
Josh Jung Was Hitting .294 Before Injury
Jung had played 92 games before going on the injured list. He was batting .294/.361/.441 with 9 home runs and 35 RBIs.
His batting average ranked fourth in the American League when he went on the injured list. His 104 hits were tied for ninth, and his 32 multihit games were tied for second.
The calf has caused trouble for Jung before. A left calf strain sidelined him for most of spring training in 2024, and another calf issue cost him four games in 2025. Neither required a trip to the injured list.
Texas took Jung with the eighth pick in the 2019 MLB Draft after his career at Texas Tech. He was an All-Star during his first full major league season in 2023, then remained the Rangers’ regular third baseman during their World Series run that fall.
Jung is a career .264/.313/.430 hitter through 417 major league games, with 58 home runs and 196 RBIs.
Texas and Jung avoided arbitration with a one-year, $2.9 million deal for 2026. He remains under club control and will be arbitration eligible again next year.
Ezequiel Durán Has Handled Third Base
Most of the work at third base during Jung’s absence has gone to Ezequiel Durán.
Through Friday, Durán was batting .268/.323/.441 with 13 home runs and 64 RBIs across 114 games. Texas has used him at seven positions this season.
The Rangers initially recalled Josh Smith from Triple-A Round Rock when Jung went on the injured list. Smith started at third base against the Seattle Mariners that night and went 0-for-4 in a 7-1 win. Texas optioned him back to Round Rock before trading him to the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline, sending Smith and right-hander Josh Stephan for left-hander Adam Macko.
Texas has not announced when Jung will begin a minor league rehab assignment.
The Athletics beat the Rangers 5-2 on Sunday at Sutter Health Park. Texas is off Monday before opening a three-game series against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday at Globe Life Field, with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. CT.
