Watch: Texas Rangers Silver Slugger Leaves Red Sox Game with Apparent Injury

The Texas Rangers are already down a player in the infield and they lost another to an injury suffered in the first inning.

Mar 29, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Smith (8) bends over after colliding with the railing down the left field line chasing a foul ball during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers are running out of players named Josh to run out into the lineup.

Josh Smith, who took over at third base for Josh Jung on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox, left in the first inning of the game with an injury.  

Jung was ruled out of Saturday’s game with a recurrence of the neck spasms that he developed at the end of spring training. Jung re-aggravated them while making a back-handed play on a ground ball in the seventh inning of Friday’s game.

Smith replaced Jung on Friday night and took his spot in the field for Saturday’s game. But he didn’t last long.

On a pop fly into foul territory, Smith was trying to track the ball toward the wall in left field. He appeared to be keeping a good eye on the wall and the ball until the end of the play when he had trouble keeping his footing as he was trying to brace himself on the wall.

This is why Josh Smith left the game after the first inning. Needed several minutes to gather himself. Duran pinch-hit for him. pic.twitter.com/OixXlXiKVX

— Matthew Postins (@PostinsPostcard) March 29, 2025

Smith went to the ground and needed a few minutes to determine if he could continue. Team trainer Matt Lucero joined him on the field. Smith walked into the outfield to test the foot and continued to finish out the inning.

The Rangers announced later in the game that he suffered a left quad contusion.

In the bottom of the first, the Rangers scored two runs, both coming on a double by Adolis Garcia. That put Smith’s spot in the batting order in play and the Rangers had Ezequiel Duran pinch-hit for him. Duran then took Smith’s spot at third base in the second inning.

Smith won a Silver Slugger as a utility player last year and spent much of that season at third base in place of Jung, who was recovering from a fractured wrist. He slashed .258/.337/.394 with 13 home runs, a triple, 30 doubles and 62 RBI.

Proving his versatility, he played shortstop for Corey Seager on opening day when Rangers manager Bruce Bochy opted to put the two-time World Series MVP at designated hitter as he was nursing a tight calf.