Rangers Reinforcements Waste No Time Helping Texas Beat Diamondbacks

The Texas Rangers activated third baseman Josh Jung and right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi before Saturday's game with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They didn't bring them back to sit.

The duo, each of which has been on the injured list for more than a month, played in Saturday 6-2 win over the Diamondbacks and both played a role and helping Texas not only win the game but cut a game off the lead in both the American League West and the AL wild card races.

Can the pair help them more? That remains to be seen. But getting them back on the field and contributing was huge for the Rangers.

Josh Jung and Nathan Eovaldi Return

Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi talks to his teammate. — Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Rangers got Jung in the lineup right away. After spending more than a month on the injured list with a left calf strain, Jung played his position and batted third in the order. Young finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.

Jung’s RBI single and run scored came in the fifth inning, as Texas exploded for six runs, which was kicked off by Wyatt Langford’s solo home run. Jung’s single brought home Elias Diaz, and he later scored on a single by Ezequiel Duran.

With a left-hander on the mound, the Rangers moved Duran to center field. He had played third base against right-handed pitching while Cody Freeman took the position against left-handed pitching. Freeman was available off the bench on Sunday. When the Rangers made the move to activate Jung, they optioned catcher and designated hitter Logan O’Hoppe back to Triple-A Round Rock.

The big lead gave the Rangers the option to give Eovaldi a soft landing back. He was out for a month with right posterior elbow inflammation and because he returned so late, he was unable to go to the minor leagues for a rehab start.

Texas is using him as a bulk reliever and letting him build up with the Major League team, as he did in 2023. The Rangers brought him in for the sixth inning and he pitched 2.2 innings, allowing four hits in one run as he struck out two. It was his first appearance on the mound since Aug. 7.

It means that Eovaldi is unavailable for Sunday's finale with Arizona. But with the off day on Monday, he could be available to pitch in a multi-inning role on Tuesday when the Rangers face the Boston Red Sox to begin a nine-game homestand.

As for the playoff race, the Rangers caught a break. The returns of both Jung and Eovaldi helped them win a game on the same day that both the Houston Astros and the Cleveland guardians lost. That allowed Texas to cut the leads in the AL West and for the final AL wild card berth to two games. It's still a narrow path, but Texas still has one.

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