ARLINGTON, Texas — Josh Jung has dialed in his approach at the plate and his pregame work, Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said Monday. The third baseman has hit two home runs in three games since returning from a left calf strain. Young spoke on 105.3 The Fan’s G-Bag Nation during the team’s off day.
Texas activated Jung on Sept. 12 at Chase Field, ending a 47-game absence, and he went 2-for-5 with an RBI in his return. On Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays, he hit a solo home run to right field in the first inning off José Soriano. It was his 11th of the season, and Texas won 6-2. Jung is batting .298 with an .817 OPS and 39 RBIs.
In the fifth inning of Jung’s first game back, a pitch fractured Joc Pederson’s left hand. Pederson has not played since.
“One, it speaks to how great he’s been all year and the adjustments that he’s made,” Young said. “He’s been so critically important to our lineup, and it felt like when he got hurt a few weeks ago that we certainly missed his bat and we had a void in the middle of our lineup. With him coming back, I could not believe the timing of Joc Pederson getting hit the first game that JJ came back and losing right as we get one important piece to our lineup back. We lost another, but that said, there’s no excuse making. Every team has injuries, and having JJ back is huge.
“Really, he deserves so much credit for the adjustments that he’s made,” Young continued. “He’s really dialed in his approach this year, and he spends a lot of time on his pregame work and going up to the plate with an approach, and then he’s been able to stay disciplined to that approach, and it’s led to great success, and it’s so fun to watch him.”
Josh Jung’s Season Before The Calf Strain
Jung was hitting .294/.361/.441 with 9 home runs and 35 RBIs through 92 games when the calf sidelined him. His 104 hits, 23 doubles, 46 runs, and .802 OPS all led the Rangers at that point. His last game before the injury came July 21 against the Chicago White Sox. Texas placed him on the 10-day injured list four days later, retroactive to July 22.
Through Aug. 22, the Rangers hit .217 and averaged 3.14 runs per game in the stretch after Jung last played, according to The Dallas Morning News. Ezequiel Durán took most of the starts at third base while Jung was out.
Jung has dealt with the same calf before. A left calf strain took away most of his 2024 spring training, and another calf problem kept him out four games in 2025.
Josh Jung’s Return To The Texas Rangers Lineup
In four rehab games with Triple-A Round Rock before his activation, Jung went 3-for-15 with a home run. With Pederson out, Jung has also started at designated hitter. On the same program last Monday, Young said the lineup had changed with Jung back in it.
“I think we all see the difference he makes. It’s been huge,” Young explained on Sept. 14. “It just lengthens our lineup, and unfortunately, the second we get JJ back, we lose Joc for a few days. And so the hope is that Joc is going to be OK.”
Texas drafted Jung eighth overall out of Texas Tech in 2019. He made the All-Star Game as a rookie in 2023 and won the World Series with the Rangers that fall. He agreed to a one-year, $2.9 million contract for 2026.
Texas (78-78) leads the Houston Astros by one game in the American League West. The New York Mets visit Globe Life Field for three games starting Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. CT.
