The Rangers announced Sunday afternoon that they’ve placed third baseman Josh Jung on the 10-day injured list due to neck spasms. The move is retroactive to March 29, meaning Jung will first be eligible for activation on April 7. Infielder Jonathan Ornelas was recalled from the minors in a corresponding move.
It’s a frustrating turn of events for Jung, as the 27-year-old was looking to get off to a strong start this year after having his 2024 season derailed by a fractured wrist on April 1 of last year. He won’t even make it to April this year without being placed on the shelf. As worrisome a sign as that may be, all indications from team officials have suggested Jung’s current ailment is not particularly serious. As Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News noted, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters that he expects Jung to require only a minimum stay on the injured list.
Jung’s latest trip to the injured list doesn’t indicate the severity of his neck problem, as the club was viewing him as day-to-day as recently as Saturday (as noted by MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry). The decision to place Jung on the shelf, it seems stems not from Jung’s injury but rather an issue utility man Josh Smith is suffering from. Smith was playing third base during Saturday’s game but, as noted by McFarland, left the game with a left quad contusion after colliding with the wall in foul territory. Smith is currently considered day-to-day but is out of the lineup Sunday due to the issue.
With Jung and Smith down for the time being, the Rangers felt they needed additional cover on the infield, prompting them to place Jung on the shelf to bring Ornelas up to the majors. The 24-year-old has just 26 games under his belt in the majors over the past two years and offers little offensive upside, but is a strong defender all around the infield with the speed to steal 15 bases in a season. Ornelas can fill a utility role for the club while Ezequiel Duran and (when healthy enough to return to the lineup) Smith cover for Jung at first base.
Losing Jung, the club’s selection with the eighth overall pick in the 2019 draft, stings for the lineup. The 27-year-old enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023, where he was named an All-Star and finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Since the start of that season, Jung has slashed a strong .267/.311/.454 across 170 games in the majors and was off to a hot start this year with three hits in his first seven at-bats. Fortunately, Smith should be a perfectly adequate replacement once he’s back in the lineup, as he had a breakout season of his last year, hitting .258/.337/.394 in 592 trips to the plate while serving in a super-utility role. Smith’s versatility and solid bat earned him the AL Silver Slugger award for utility players last year, and he figures to fill a similar role in 2025 again.
