Rangers Top Prospect Homers in Triple-A Start

The former first-round pick is working his way back from surgery that prevented him from competing for a spot with the Rangers in the spring.

Josh Jung homered in his 2022 Triple-A debut on Tuesday night with Round Rock, as the Express defeated the Oklahoma City Dodgers, 8-5.

Jung’s home run came in the top of the seventh inning, part of a six-run inning that blew the game open and helped the Express rally from a 3-1 deficit. Jung’s blast scored three runs and came with two outs in the inning.

Jung finished 1-for-3 with 3 RBI and one run. He also walked twice.

Jung, the Texas Rangers’ No. 2 overall prospect, is working his way back from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. That surgery, back in February, derailed any possibility that he might be able to make the Rangers’ opening-day roster in 2022.

Jung began a rehabilitation assignment with the Rangers’ Arizona Complex League team last month, during which he went 6-for-25 with three home runs and five RBIs. He progressed a bit quicker than expected, as he made some appearances in the field after it was expected he would only hit.

At the time of his surgery, the Rangers expected Jung to need six months to recover. With his debut at Round Rock, he is right on schedule.

"This is a tough break for Josh," Rangers general manager Chris Young said in February. "Given his character and work ethic, we're fully confident Josh will make a full recovery and bounce back from this."

With Jung on the injured list, the Rangers have used several players at third base, including including current Rangers Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith.

The Express’ season runs through the end of September, and the Rangers end their season in early October. It’s not clear if the Rangers have a timetable for Jung to take at-bats in Arlington. But, the Rangers do face a decision with Jung this offseason, as he could be exposed to the Rule 5 Draft if Jung isn’t placed on the Rangers’ 40-man roster.

In 2021, Jung missed about eight weeks due to a stress fracture. But he hit well in the minors, including batting.308/.366/.544 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs over 43 games with Double-A Frisco last season. That earned him a promotion to Triple A Round Rock, where he batted 348/.436/.652 with nine home runs, 21 RBIs, and 14 doubles in 35 games.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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