Texas Rangers rookie third baseman and All-Star Josh Jung suffered a fractured thumb on his left (non-throwing) hand, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters on Sunday. It was revealed on Monday that Jung is expected to miss six weeks after undergoing surgery on the thumb (via The Athletic).
Jung's injury occurred in the sixth inning of Texas' eventual 6-0 win over the Marlins on Sunday when he attempted to snare a hard liner off the bat of Jorge Soler. Jung knocked down the liner and started a double play. Take a look:
After Jung left the game, Josh Smith slid over to third base from short, and Ezequiel Duran entered the game as shortstop.
The 25-year-old former No. 8 overall pick out of Texas Tech has thrived across 109 games with the Rangers this season. Over that span, he's slashed .274/.323/.489 with 22 home runs and 24 doubles. As well, Statcast grades him as a solidly above-average defender at the hot corner and he earned an All-Star selection.
The Rangers have comfortably exceeded expectations this season, and Jung has been a critical part of that success.
They held on to win Sunday after Jung departed and then won their seventh straight game on Monday in Oakland. They are now 67-46, which is good for a three-game lead over the defending champion Astros in the AL West. The Rangers only won 68 games all year in 2022.
