Josh Jung Happy, Healthy and Enjoying Rangers Spring Training

Josh Jung is going through his first Spring Training in preparation for his first full Major League season.

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung is participating in his first Spring Training in 2023. If that sounds strange, you’re not alone.

It seems like Jung has been a part of the Rangers organization forever. The 2019 first-round pick hasn't had this opportunity in the spring before. And he's relishing every opportunity to prepare for a season in which he knows he has a starting job.

“I'm kind of going through it all for the first time, but really, I just feel healthy,” Jung said. “And that's the biggest thing for me.”

Health has been the key component keeping Jung out of Spring Training.

After COVID-19 shut down minor league baseball in 2020 — which would have been Jung’s first season — he felt primed to take a big step in 2021.

Unfortunately, before Jung could really get going he underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot. That cost him two months, but he still tore it up at Double-A Frisco (.308/.366/.544, 10 home runs, 40 RBI) and Triple-A Round Rock (.348/.436/.652, nine home runs, 21 RBI).

That left him and the Rangers encouraged that a starting job in 2022 was on the horizon. The Rangers hoped he would play his way into that role. But then came the lockout and labor negotiations. Jung couldn’t work out at team facilities, but he could work out on his own.

Lifting weights is how he tore the labrum in his right shoulder, an injury that nearly cost him the entire 2022 season.

Jung had surgery and had to watch Spring Training from the side. It was painful, and not just because of the injury.

“Last year I was walking around with (my shoulder in) a sling with a little pillow on top of it for my water bottle,” Jung said. “So I was around it, but I wasn’t really in it.”

Most doubted Jung would play last season. But he recovered faster than expected and started taking live at-bats in Arizona in late July. The Rangers then sent Jung to Triple-A Round Rock and he started blasting the ball out of the park.

In 31 minor-league games Jung batted .266/.326/.540/.866 with nine home runs, seven doubles and 29 RBI.

By early September the Rangers really had no choice. They called him up on Sept. 9 and he homered in his first Major League at-bat, making him the second Rangers player to ever do that. His fielding was solid and, even though his average in a month was barely over .200, the Rangers were encouraged by what they saw.

Jung played in 26 games for the Rangers and batted .204/.235/ (20-for-98) with four doubles, one triple, five home runs and 14 RBI. He walked four times and struck out 39 times.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy has kept a close eye on him. He’s impressed with Jung’s bat, of course. But there’s something else, too. He’s been impressed with the acceleration in improvement of Jung’s fielding. He’s dived for several balls in spring training, a sign that his range has improved and that he trusts that surgically-repaired shoulder.

"I've seen a really good player on both sides of the ball," Bochy said. "I mean, he's played a really nice third base. He's done a really, really good job. He made a great backhand play on a smash down the line. He's had good at-bats."

A few weeks remain in Spring Training. For now, Jung is working to pace himself, avoid injury and, hopefully, play a full season for the first time.

“It’s fun to finally actually go through it,” Jung said. “I've never really gone through a full Spring Training, whether that's being sent down in the minor leagues and playing games, all that stuff, I’ve never done it before. So this will just be an interesting year going into Spring Training and hopefully playing 162 (games).”

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