Josh Jung’s calf injury has already turned into one of those nagging Rangers stories that drags on longer than anyone wants, mostly because it’s keeping Texas’ best hitter this season out of the lineup.
Jung hurt the calf while running the bases during the club’s last homestand and was placed on the 10-day injured list on July 25. The initial hope was a quick turnaround. But even then, Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Jung was having trouble sprinting, and the day before the IL move he was only able to run at half speed.
A few days later, the update wasn’t much more encouraging. On Wednesday, Schumaker told reporters, including MLB.com, that Jung still hadn’t improved as expected and would not be able to begin a rehab assignment for at least 10 more days.
The key issue is simple: Jung has to get the left calf strong enough to let him move at full speed again. That means not just swinging a bat, but also handling the demands of his position and running the bases without hesitation.
Before he can even get to a rehab assignment, Jung will likely need live batting practice sessions that include fielding work and baserunning drills. Corey Seager went through three of those in a four-day stretch after nearly a month recovering from a second back injury. Jung may not need that many, but he’ll probably need at least two to make sure the calf is ready.
If Jung were to be cleared for a rehab assignment on Aug. 15, which would be 10 days after Wednesday, the schedule would likely have to be pretty precise. That would mean a live batting practice on Aug. 11, a recovery day, another on Aug. 13, another recovery day, and then a rehab game on Aug. 15, a Saturday.
Under a normal rehab progression, Jung would likely DH in one rehab game and play five innings, then move into another game in the field and play seven innings.
If everything breaks right, that could put Jung on track to return on Aug. 18, when the Rangers come home to face the Washington Nationals. That, of course, would depend on the injury healing well enough for both Jung and the Rangers to push the process without taking a risk they don’t want this late in the season.
If he still isn’t ready to start a rehab assignment in 10 days, that’s still not out of the question. In that case, Seager’s recovery path would still offer the best guide: at least two live batting practice sessions over three to four days, plus a minimum of two rehab games before activation.
It’s a narrow path, and that’s exactly why Schumaker doesn’t like putting dates on it.
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