The Texas Rangers got a small but welcome sign from Josh Jung on Wednesday in Salt Lake City: a home run, his first since June 30.
It came on a rehab assignment for Triple-A Round Rock, so the blast wasn’t enough to change the club’s plan. Texas is still taking the same measured route with Jung, and manager Skip Schumaker said Thursday that the infielder has to prove he can handle the field before he gets activated.
Jung has already checked off the offensive boxes. He has played two games at designated hitter and collected three hits in those two games.
He has also shown he can run the bases at full speed. What remains is the defensive test, which Schumaker laid out as a two-step ramp-up: five innings at third base on Thursday, then seven innings on Friday.
That’s the standard progression for a position player returning after more than a month away with a strained left calf. If everything goes according to plan, Jung could be back as soon as Saturday in Arizona.
When that happens, the Rangers will need to make room on the 26-man roster. One straightforward option would be to send down a player with options remaining, and Cody Freeman fits that description. Freeman has filled in at third base when Ezequiel Duran has shifted to center field against left-handed pitching.
Duran has been excellent defensively this season, with third base standing out as the one spot where his fielding percentage dips below .980. Freeman has also shown he can handle the position. Jung, meanwhile, was having a down year with the glove before the injury, posting a .974 fielding percentage, four points below his 2025 mark and well short of his .988 career high from his rookie season in 2023.
That defensive picture, along with the club’s desire to avoid another injury, could also push the Rangers to use Jung at DH more often down the stretch. That isn’t a simple fix, though.
Joc Pederson has been the DH against right-handed pitching, while Logan O’Hoppe has taken that role against left-handers. In that setup, O’Hoppe could be the one optioned if Jung’s bat is going to reclaim those at-bats.
However the roster shuffle plays out, the Rangers’ priority is clear: get their best hitters in the lineup. Before the injury, Jung was hitting .294/.361/.441 with nine home runs and 35 RBI. By this weekend, Round Rock may be saying goodbye to a player who’s ready to move back into the Texas picture.
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