Texas Rangers Rookie Josh Jung Set to Undergo Thumb Surgery, Will Miss 6 Weeks

The Texas Rangers placed rookie sensation Josh Jung on the 10-day injured list with a left thumb injury Monday, and the first look at his potential timetable to return was not exactly promising.

According to Dallas Morning News beat writer Evan Grant, Jung is set to undergo surgery to stabilize a fracture in his thumb. The third baseman is expected to be out six weeks.

Jung last played Sunday against the Miami Marlins. He took a line drive right to the hand, toughing it out to turn a double play, but he would later leave the game.

Based on Grant's reported timeline, Jung will likely be out until the Rangers' home series against the Boston Red Sox from September 18 to 20. That would put Jung on pace to miss 37 games, and he wouldn't return until there were just 13 games left on the regular season slate.

Jung was the odds-on favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year for most of the past three months. The 25-year-old made the All-Star Game and was hitting .274 with 22 home runs, 24 doubles, 67 RBI and an .813 OPS.

With Jung's thumb injury now interrupting that potentially award-winning campaign, Baltimore Orioles third baseman Gunnar Henderson and Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida become the two most notable contenders.

The Rangers, meanwhile, will have to move forward without their star in the hot corner. 24-year-old Ezequiel Durán and 26-year-old Josh H. Smith are two utility men who got plenty of run at third in 2022, while star middle infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien have picked up limited experience at the position over the years.

At 66-46, the Rangers are sitting in first place in the AL West with an 89.0% chance of making the playoffs, per FanGraphs.

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