The Rangers don’t seem prepared to give up on the season just yet, despite their difficulties. Furthermore, it’s still unclear what the franchise plans to buy or sell at the MLB trade deadline. The Rangers should be receiving back a few key players in the upcoming weeks, so maybe the most recent injury report will persuade the Texas decision-makers to stick with their course.
The long-awaited returns of outfielder Evan Carter and third baseman Josh Jung might significantly enhance the team’s prospects. Bruce Bochy, the manager of the Rangers, also provided some positive updates on both players.
“Bochy stated that the team hopes” that Jung would be activated “by August 1,” as MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry reported on X. Bochy stated that he anticipates Jung to have another rehab assignment “soon,” although he did not give a timeframe for the comeback.
The 26-year-old rising star’s 2024 batting average of.412 and 1.415 OPS were off to a disastrous start. Regretfully, Jung was limited to just four games prior to being placed on the disabled list at the beginning of April. After being struck by a fastball on April 1, he eventually had surgery to fix his shattered wrist. Although Jung was supposed to return in two months or so, he has been out of commission for over twice that amount of time.
Jung made his major league debut in 2022 and went on to have a stellar season as the Rangers’ starting third baseman in 2023, registering 25 doubles, 23 home runs, 70 RBI, and 2.4 WAR. After posting a.308 hitting average and.867 OPS in 70 plate appearances during the postseason, Jung was even more impressive. He was the first rookie from the Rangers to start in the Midsummer Classic, finishing fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting and earning a spot on the All-Star squad.
Josh Jung and Evan Carter of the Rangers receive positive injury updates.
October 15, 2023, USA; Houston, Texas; Josh Jung, a sixth-year Texas Rangers player, and Evan Carter, a 32-year-old center fielder, celebrate after Carter’s run in the first inning of game one of the ALCS at Minute Maid Park against the Houston Astros in the 2023 MLB playoffs.
USA TODAY Sports’ Thomas Shea
Bochy gave an update on left fielder Evan Carter’s injuries as well. According to Landry on X, the Rangers manager announced that the 21-year-old will participate in batting practice in Arlington on Tuesday. It is unclear, though, what his next course of treatment will entail.
Due to a lower back ailment, Carter has been out since the end of May and has missed over two whole months of action. When he’s well enough to play, he’ll probably embark on a rehabilitation program, but back injuries are infamously difficult to treat. The Rangers are taking their time with Carter’s recovery because he missed time earlier in the season due to the same issue.
Carter was having trouble at the plate before going on the disabled list. After 45 games, he had an OPS+ of 79, five home runs, 15 RBI, and a.188 batting average. But in 23 games the previous season, the youthful outfielder slashed.306/.413/.645 with an OPS+ of 187, five home runs, and twelve RBI.
Carter, like Jung, had a big part in the Rangers’ 2023 World Series victory and postseason run. Carter excelled at the plate as well, hitting. 300 with a.917 OPS in 17 postseason games in addition to his strong defensive play. According to MLB.com, he also broke the record for the most doubles in a single postseason with nine. To get that version of Carter back on the field, the Rangers are prepared to take their time.
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