Josh Jung fractures right hand, clouding Rangers' final AL West push

Josh Jung's right hand was fractured by a Joe Ryan pitch in the first inning of the Rangers' 10-2 loss to the Twins on Friday, per Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors — a blow that ends his regular season and, per the report, makes his participation in any postseason run unlikely even if Texas advances.

What happened

Jung was in the lineup as the designated hitter when Ryan's pitch struck his right hand. He stayed in the game long enough to score on a Wyatt Langford RBI groundout, but Alejandro Osuna pinch-hit for him in the third inning. Manager Skip Schumaker, speaking to the Dallas Morning News' Shawn McFarland and other media after the game, relayed the worst of it: Jung had sustained a fracture. The exact nature and severity of the injury awaits further testing, per the report.

The Rangers officially placed Jung on the 10-day injured list. Righty Gavin Collyer was optioned to the Arizona Complex League, and two players were called up from Triple-A to fill the open roster spots — left-hander Robby Ahlstrom among them — per MLB Trade Rumors.

Why it matters

Texas and Houston are knotted at 79-81 records, with the Astros holding first place on the strength of the head-to-head tiebreaker. The division winner will become the first team in MLB history to reach the postseason with a non-winning record — a footnote that is presumably cold comfort to either club. The Rangers are eliminated from Wild Card contention, meaning the AL West title is their only remaining path to October, and two regular-season games are all that remain.

Losing Jung for those games — and, per the report, almost certainly beyond them — is a significant blow. Polishuk notes that Texas might already have clinched the division had Jung not also missed over seven weeks earlier this season with a left calf strain. He returned from that stint on September 12 and had been one of the hotter bats in the American League since.

The injury arrives against a backdrop of mounting roster attrition. Earlier this week, Cal Quantrill was placed on the injured list with a right lat strain and will miss the remainder of the regular season — another piece of the rotation gone before the finish line.

The numbers

Jung's season line sits at .299/.365/.462 with 12 home runs over 444 plate appearances — a team-leading 136 wRC+, per the report. Since returning from the IL on September 12, he posted a 1.032 OPS over his last 48 PA. Those are the numbers of a lineup anchor, not a complementary piece, which makes the timing particularly difficult for a club that needs every edge it can find over its final two games.

Where the club stands

The Rangers carry a 79-81 record (.494) and sit 2nd in the AL West, on a one-game losing streak heading into the weekend. Texas closes its regular season with back-to-back games at Target Field against the Twins. Saturday's probable matchup has Nathan Eovaldi going against Bailey Ober; Sunday's game has Dean Kremer scheduled for Minnesota, with Texas' starter listed as TBD. The Astros hold the tiebreaker if the clubs finish level, so the Rangers need to gain ground outright.

Is Ezequiel Duran the answer at third?

Per the report, Duran is the likeliest candidate to take over third base in Jung's absence. Justin Foscue is expected to see increased time at second base alongside Nicky Lopez. The report flags a relevant wrinkle: Foscue has struggled against right-handed pitching this season while hitting well against lefties, and both Ober and Kremer — Minnesota's scheduled starters for the final two games — throw from the right side.

What we don't know yet

Further testing will determine the precise nature and severity of the fracture, per the report. The postseason picture depends entirely on what happens over the next two games — and on what Houston does simultaneously. Whether Jung could be available for any playoff role, even in an extended run, remains uncertain; the report characterizes it as unlikely but stops short of a definitive ruling.

What to watch

The AL West race resolves this weekend. Watch how Schumaker deploys Duran, Foscue, and Lopez across the final two games against Minnesota, and whether the Rangers' lineup can generate enough offense without their team-leading wRC+ bat in the order. The Astros' results will matter just as much as Texas's own.