Rangers catcher Danny Jansen is weighing a move that could end his 2026 season before it really gets going.
Jansen, who landed on the injured list in early June with a forearm/elbow issue, has been out for nearly eight weeks while trying to play through what now appears to be a significant UCL injury. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports that Jansen has recently started throwing again and is still trying to determine whether he can keep going without surgery.
Jansen told Grant he expects to make a call on an internal brace procedure within the next two to three weeks. If he goes that route, his season is over.
For a position player, the recovery timeline is shorter than it is for a pitcher, and Grant noted that if Jansen has the procedure in the next couple of weeks, he could be back in time for Opening Day 2027, assuming it starts on time.
The injury comes at a rough point in what has already been a disappointing first year in Texas. Jansen, 31, is in the opening season of a two-year, $14.5MM deal, and the bat never really got going.
He had 142 plate appearances before the IL stint and hit just .171/.277/.309. His 9.2% walk rate was respectable, but it was also down from recent seasons, when he was above 12%.
Statcast showed declines in hard-hit rate, barrel rate and line-drive rate, and he put the second-most grounders of his career into play on a rate basis. The defensive numbers were mixed: he graded well at blocking balls in the dirt, but his throwing and framing were both below par.
The offensive slide suggests the elbow may have been affecting him before he was shut down. Jansen opened the year slowly, but he was still at .211/.282/.380 through May 1, which works out to an 84 wRC+ - or 16% worse than league average after adjusting for his hitter-friendly home park.
The average catcher this season has been about 12% below average offensively. From May 2 on, though, Jansen cratered to a .115/.270/.212 line in 64 plate appearances.
Texas’ catching situation has become even shakier because Kyle Higashioka also just went on the injured list this week. Right now, the Rangers are left with Elias Díaz and Austin Wynns behind the plate, a pairing that doesn’t exactly look built for a team trying to stay in the race.
And the Rangers are very much still in the race. At 51-51, they’re tied up with the Mariners, who are 51-52, at the top of the AL West, while the Astros have climbed back into the picture at 50-54 after a brutal start. The next 10 days could go a long way toward deciding how aggressive Texas gets before the deadline, especially because seven of its final 10 games before that deadline come against Seattle and Houston.
That stretch starts tonight with a four-game series against the Mariners in Texas. After that, the Rangers head to Florida for three games against the AL-best Rays, then fly to Houston for three more against the Astros.
A sweep or even a series win against Seattle could push the front office toward buying. A sweep by the Mariners, or even a series loss, could point president of baseball operations Chris Young in the other direction.
If Texas can come through this run at .500 or better, catching help figures to be on the list for Young, GM Ross Fenstermaker and the rest of the staff. The Rangers could use upgrades in several spots if they decide to buy, including rotation depth, the bullpen, the outfield and the middle infield.
If they stumble instead, impending free agents such as Joc Pederson, Jakob Junis, Tyler Alexander and Higashioka, depending on his return timeline, could be moved. Arb-eligible players with shrinking club control, including MacKenzie Gore, Jake Burger and Josh Jung, could also become part of the conversation.
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