How Can Texas Rangers Replace Josh Jung At Third?
Bruce Bochy knows he's going to have to replace Josh Jung. The tricky part is finding the right balance of pop, power and defensive perseverance to keep the left side of the infield hot for the Texas Rangers.
Jung was officially placed on the injured list after suffering a broken thumb in Sunday's 6-0 win over the Miami Marlins. Bochy, who has navigated the Rangers (68-47) to an AL West division lead, said the rookie would require surgery and be out for six weeks.
The blows continue to come at an unsettling time for the Rangers given the slew of injuries sustained since the All-Star break. Day by day, it feels like a constant carousel of players jumping on and off the IL Express.
Exit Corey Seager, enter Nathan Eovaldi. Next stop, Jonah Heim's exit from the IL train. At the current stop, hop on board Jung, whose breakout rookie season has played an essential role in Texas' return to relevancy.
Jung, whose 22 home runs and 67 RBI lead all rookies, is nearly impossible to duplicate at the plate. The 25-year-old slugger slashed .247/.323/.429 with a .812 OPS before the injury, while still showing flashes with the glove at the corner.
Is there a simple fix? Not entirely. Bochy will likely have to turn toward matchups and situations when filling out the roster. The good news is at least two players with experience are on the left side of the infield.
Ezequiel Durán is one option Bochy could consider. The other, 23-year-old AAA standout Jonathan Ornelas, is the other. And if all else fails, Josh Smith is the "just in case" option that remains.
“We’ll mix it up,” Bochy said. “Duran, Smitty, Ornelas, we’ll see where we’re at. Defense is gonna be an important part of this."
Durán has served as the ideal utility man for the Rangers since being called up. In two years, the 24-year-old has played 55 games at third base, 36 at shortstop, 26 in left field, 13 at second base, two at first base and one in right field.
Taking Jung's place won't be the first time Bochy has relied on Durán. He started 26 games and made 29 appearances at shortstop during Seager's first stint on the IL.
The good news; Durán was hot then, slashing .303/.339/.532 with six home runs and 21 RBI. The downside? Durán has cooled off since moving back to the bench, batting .143 in six games this month, while posting a 30-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio since July 1.
“He’s a little off,” Bochy said before Sunday's home win. “He’s not where he was, particularly on the fastball. His timing is a little bit off there, probably missing a few pitches that he wasn’t missing earlier."
Ornelas was called up from AAA Round Rock following Jung going on the IL and made his impact felt Monday when he pinch-ran for Mitch Garver and scored the go-ahead run in a 5-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics. What he lacks in power is made up for in speed, though his plate discipline in Round Rock helped him post a .360 OPB and .347 OPS.
The same goes for his glove. Voted as the Rangers' 2022 Minor League Defender of the Year, Ornelas could see action for his ability to eliminate base-runners. Like Durán, he also has position flexibility, making starts at third base, second base and center field for the Express.
Durán, for now, seems to be the safe bet to replace Jung full-time. Ornelas and Smith likely serve as the primary backups, with Smith potentially being pushed more so to middle infield work.
Texas has options for replacing the impact of Jung. His production? Time will only tell on that one as the Rangers' hype train moves closer and closer to its final stop at the end of September.
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