Big Week for Slugging Rangers Prospect in Triple-A

Texas' No. 2 prospect Josh Jung starts strong in first week since joining Round Rock.

Josh Jung has wasted no time building a case for a call-up to the Texas Rangers after one week with the Triple-A Round Rock Express.

Jung went 1-for-3 in the final game of his first week with the Express on Sunday, as they wrapped up a road series with the Oklahoma City Dodgers. Jung started the series with a home run in the top of the seventh of the opening game Tuesday and added another in Saturday.

The Express lost Sunday’s finale 20-3.

With the Express, Jung is hitting .350 and has played third base most of the week.

His numbers with the Arizona Complex League Rangers were just as good. He played eight games during a rehab assignment, batting .240/.345/.600/.945 with three home runs and five RBI.

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.

But with the Rangers well out of the playoff race and starting to look toward 2023, there may come an opportunity in the next two months to finally bring their one of their most prized prospects to Arlington for a test drive.

During Jung’s absence, the Rangers have used several players at third base, including Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith, two rookies acquired last year in the Joey Gallo trade.

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 get 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 RBI 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 RBI, and 14 doubles in 35 games.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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