The Texas Rangers lost a tough one for the second straight night on Saturday, going down 5-2 to the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim. That may not be their main concern, however, as they’re now holding their breath about a potential Josh Jung injury. The third baseman left the game with “left shoulder soreness” in the fifth inning, according to Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News. He appeared to hurt the shoulder while diving for a sharply hit grounder off the bat of Angels shortstop Zach Neto.
Potential Josh Jung Injury Worsens Rangers Loss
After Jung departed, Ezequiel Duran slid over to third to replace him defensively, while Michael Helman took over Jung’s spot in the batting order, playing shortstop. Manager Skip Schumaker, in his first year with Texas, had little to offer when asked for an update on Jung after the game, confirming that the infielder was pulled as a precaution due to shoulder soreness and that the team would know more when he’s evaluated by doctors late Saturday night. However, Jung expressed optimism that it wasn’t too serious, saying he was “scared more than anything” since it was the same shoulder he had labrum surgery on a few years ago.
Josh Jung believes his shoulder is fine after leaving the game. He said he was “scared more than anything” because it was the same labrum he had surgery on a few years ago and hadn’t felt pain in that area in a while.
“I think we should be alright,” he said.
— Shawn McFarland (@McFarland_Shawn) May 24, 2026
Jung is in his fifth season in the majors, all spent with the Rangers. The one-time All-Star finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2023. He’s off to a fairly strong start at the plate this year, especially after going on a hot streak in April. Entering Saturday’s action, he was slashing .306/.360/.467 with five home runs, 21 RBI, and 14 doubles in 47 games.
? Josh Jung leaves game with an injury pic.twitter.com/f7nwpbB98V
— MLB Injury Bot (@MLBInjuryBot) May 24, 2026
Unfortunately, injuries have hampered Jung in the past as well. Along with the aforementioned labrum surgery, he was limited to only 46 games in 2024 with a wrist injury that required multiple operations. However, he came back to play 131 games last season. The Rangers will now hope they’ve avoided a serious Josh Jung injury as they look to get back on track. They now sit at 24-27, in a virtual tie for second in the AL West with the Seattle Mariners. Both trail the Athletics by 1 1/2 games.
Main Photo Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images
