WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Texas Rangers received encouraging news on Josh Jung before Friday’s series opener against the Athletics.
Another round of imaging on Jung’s strained left calf came back with positive results, manager Skip Schumaker said Friday, according to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. Jung also had what Schumaker described as a “good day” as he works toward progressing beyond physical therapy.
Jung has not played since July 21 and has done little baseball work since going on the injured list. Schumaker hopes that will begin to change early next week, although the first steps could focus more on getting Jung’s lower half moving again.
“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.”
Friday marked 24 days since Jung last appeared in a game.
Josh Jung Has Been Out Since July 21
Jung’s last game came July 21 against the Chicago White Sox. He made it through three innings before the calf forced him out.
Four days later, Texas put him on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 22.
Jung was eligible to return Aug. 1. He has remained out while the Rangers waited for the calf to progress enough for him to resume more activity.
He was hitting .294/.361/.441 through 92 games when he went down, with 9 home runs and 35 RBIs. His batting average ranked fourth in the American League at the time.
Jung has dealt with the same calf before. A low-grade strain cost him roughly three weeks during the 2024 season.
Texas took him eighth overall out of Texas Tech in the 2019 draft. Jung reached the All-Star Game as a rookie in 2023, then helped the Rangers win the World Series later that year.
He has played 417 games for Texas, batting .264 with 58 home runs and 196 RBIs.
Jung agreed to a one-year, $2.9 million deal for 2026.
Ezequiel Durán Has Filled In For Josh Jung
Ezequiel Durán has gotten most of the starts at third base since Jung went down. Durán was batting .276 with 13 home runs and a career-high 63 RBIs through Aug. 6. Texas has also used him all over the field this season, with starts at six different positions.
That comes after Durán went without a home run in 90 games last season.
The Rangers initially recalled Josh Smith from Triple-A Round Rock when Jung went on the injured list. Smith started at third that night against the Seattle Mariners before Texas later traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline.
Jung’s progress early next week should give Texas a better idea of when he can begin moving toward baseball work.
For now, the latest scan came back well and Schumaker hopes Jung can start jogging, lifting and doing agility work.
Texas Rangers Open Series Against Athletics
Texas arrived in West Sacramento at 60-62 after losing three of four to the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim.
Detroit entered Friday a half-game ahead of the Rangers for the final American League Wild Card spot.
The Rangers opened a three-game series against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Friday. The teams play Saturday again at 8:40 p.m. CT before Sunday’s finale at 3:05 p.m. CT.
Texas returns home Tuesday to open a three-game series against the Washington Nationals at Globe Life Field.
