Rangers close to benching this infielder if offensive inconsistency persists

Earlier this season, Josh Jung was in such a funk at the plate that the Rangers organization made a somewhat surprising move and sent Josh Jung down to Triple-A Round Rock to figure things out.

When he returned, he went on a tear. But it only lasted two weeks, and the bat went ice cold again. Now, President of Baseball Operations Chris Young and manager Bruce Bochy have decided that the third baseman is on the verge of watching the action from the dugout bench for the foreseeable future.

Josh Jung has been bad all season, but even worse in August

Since the calendar flipped from July to August, Jung has been mired in a slump. He has gone 7-41, which is good for a .171 batting average and a slash line of .227/.293/.520.

His average has dipped from a respectable .250 to .240, and with his 11 HR and 45 RBIs, he is on a pace to hit just 14 longballs while driving in just 57 runs - well below what he is capable of. He is also on track to strike out 121 times in approximately 450 at-bats.

Chris Young is being completely honest about the reason for Jung's possible benching

When asked about Jung, Young was frank about why the team doesn't feel they might not keep him in the lineup.

"There's been a lot of volatility with Josh," he said. "There are times when he's dialed in and the performance is strong, but when it hasn't been as dialed in, it's been a little bit more undisciplined and just inconsistent."

Young continued on with what he wants to see from Jung to get him back on the field.

"Find a way to get on base, and, during the good times, really impact and drive in runs," he said. "The approach has kind of come and gone a little too much this year."

There is no reset happening this time around, but more of a level of frustration with Jung's struggles overall this season. He is not alone by any means but the management clearly wants to see him show more discipline at the plate and the ability to find a sustainable approach.

While Jung was in the lineup on Wednesday in Kansas City, his appearance was short, getting only two at-bats and striking out once before being pinch hit for by Josh Smith. For now, Smith and newly promoted Cody Freeman are likely to get more consistent 3B starts over Jung until or if he can ever figure it out.