Rangers young star slugger hopes for 'normal' offseason after surprise wrist surgery

Injury news does not take an offseason break.

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung underwent a tendon release wrist surgery on Tuesday after missing the vast majority of 2024.

“After evaluating multiple medical opinions regarding the lingering issue with his wrist, it was collectively decided that Josh should have the release surgery now to ensure that he can have a normal offseason and be fully ready for Spring Training,” president of baseball operations Chris Young said in a statement. “There was a lot of uncertainty with the other options and this will give us clarity on his timeline. Following a recovery period of three to four weeks, Josh will be able to begin regaining strength in the wrist and start his regular offseason activity."

Jung was a pivotal part of the Rangers’ attack in 2023. The Texas native slashed .266/.315/.467, bashed 23 home runs, and hit 25 doubles as the team slugged their way to a World Series title. He hit three home runs and batted .308 during that October run.

Josh Jung undergoes wrist surgery

After such a productive season, fans and pundits certainly expected Jung to perform well in 2024, but his wrist ultimately kept him from reaching his full potential. He returned to the roster on July 29th, but his discomfort reached a point where he had to be shut down during the club’s final road trip. All told he slashed .264/.298/.421 across 46 contests. Manager Bruce Bochy was not ready to label the former first-round pick as “injury prone.”

“It's just a little early, I think, even though he's had his share of injuries,” Bochy said of Jung in September. “More than his shares, he’s kind of ball hogging them right now. We don't want to put that label on him. … Most importantly, what he's got to do is get healthy. We need him on the field. We told him that. We missed him. Every team has to deal with injuries, and it's not an excuse by any means, but we did miss him. There's no getting around it. We need to have him on the field for us to have success.”

To his credit, the 26-year-old went 7-17 with a pair of home runs over the first four games of the campaign before breaking his wrist. If Jung can remain healthy in 2025, it could certainly bring the Rangers lineup a jolt.