The Rangers’ third baseman experienced the discomfort while fielding ground balls Friday morning after arriving in Surprise, Ariz., earlier that day. An MRI revealed a low-grade calf strain, according to manager Bruce Bochy.Jung hit .266/.315/.467 with 23 homers in his first full big league season in 2023, but he landed on the injured list for six weeks with a fractured left thumb. Health has been the only thing holding Jung back in his professional career, after a stress fracture in his foot shut him down in 2021 and a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder sidelined him in ’22.
INJURY UPDATES
RHP Tyler Mahle (right UCL repair surgery)
Expected return: Late July
Mahle, whom the Rangers signed to a two-year, $22 million deal this offseason, started throwing in mid-January after undergoing Tommy John surgery when he was with the Twins last May. He said at Rangers Fan Fest last month that he was throwing from 90 feet with no setbacks. The injury ruined a promising 2023 season with Minnesota as Mahle posted a 3.16 ERA with 28 strikeouts to five walks over five starts. (Last updated: Feb. 15)
RHP Jacob deGrom (right UCL repair surgery)
Expected return: After the All-Star break
deGrom began playing catch on Feb. 12 and resumed again on the first official day of workouts on Feb. 14 — just under eight months after the surgery to repair a torn right UCL that ended his 2023 season. It was the second similar operation for the 35-year-old deGrom, who had Tommy John surgery following his first professional season in 2010. General manager Chris Young pointed out that timelines are fluid when it comes to injuries, but he also said the ace is progressing well in his rehab with an eye on returning around August. (Last updated: Feb. 15)
RHP Max Scherzer (herniated disk)
Expected return: Summer 2024
Scherzer underwent surgery on his back for a herniated disk on Dec. 15 and will be sidelined for most of the first half of the 2024 season. General manager Chris Young said that Scherzer attempted several “conservative treatments in pain management,” including an epidural, but the pain never went away. Ultimately, it was determined that surgery was the best course of action. Scherzer said at Rangers Fan Fest that his rehab is going well, and he is expected to begin his return to the mound during Spring Training. (Last updated: Jan. 27)
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