Rangers Top Options if Josh Jung Isn’t Ready to Play by Opening Day

Thursday came and went without injured Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung in the lineup.

The Rangers had hoped Jung would play on Thursday, more than 10 days after he was shut down due to a Grade 1 adductor strain. Per Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required), Jung is still working toward a return. But it may take a bit longer.

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Rangers manager Skip Schumaker wouldn’t characterize it as a setback. He said it was taking Jung a bit longer to get to live batting practice, which is the final step before he gets back on the field at spring training.

But, with each passing day, the ramp-up window reduces. If it takes too long, he could start the season on the injured list. With Josh Smith a near-lock to take over at second base, who replaces Jung on opening day if he can’t play? Here are three options.

Ezequiel Duran

He’s the most logical temporary replacement. He’s on the 40-man roster, he’s played nearly every position aside from pitcher and catcher, and he’s shown a propensity to produce when he’s on the field on a regular basis at one position. The most notable example was May of 2023 when he filled in at shortstop for an injured Corey Seager. That month he slashed .301/.346/.575 with five home runs and 11 RBI.

He could man the position for the first 10 days of the season, during which the Rangers are in Philadelphia and Baltimore before returning home to open the home portion of the schedule against Cincinnati on April 3.

Jonah Bride

Among the non-roster invitees, Bride has played third base several times during spring training and could be a good stop-gap option for the Rangers. His bat has been solid this spring, with a slash of .280/.419/.360 with five RBI. The 30-year-old has played 84 of his 170 career games at third base.

Because he’s a non-roster invitee, the mechanics of getting him on the 40-man roster are trickier. He would also only be an option if Duran doesn’t make the 26-man roster or gets hurt between now and opening day. With 12 career home runs, he doesn’t offer the same power that Jung does, or Duran for that matter.

Cameron Cauley

The final option is Cauley, the prospect that has had the best spring of any in the Rangers’ organization. In 13 games he’s slashed .344/.382/.594 with one home run and three RBI. He doesn’t look overmatched in the batter’s box or in the field and with less than two weeks left in spring training he’s still in camp.

The biggest hurdle is that he’s a natural middle infielder who has played just one game at third base in the minor leagues. As with Bride, the Rangers would have to get him on the 40-man roster. In addition, they might have to swap Smith to third base and Cauley to second to make it work. Texas would likely only do this if Cauley is the clear choice over Duran to be the primary infield utility player and Bride doesn’t hold long-term value for the Rangers aside from minor league depth.