The Texas Rangers, who currently lead the American League West, have placed starting third baseman Josh Jung on the 10-day injured list due to a left calf strain. The move was made official Saturday but was backdated to Wednesday.
To fill the roster gap, the Rangers called up infielder Josh Smith from their Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock ahead of Saturday’s home matchup against the second-place Seattle Mariners.
Jung, 28, first showed signs of the injury when he left Tuesday’s contest against the Chicago White Sox after just three innings. He has not appeared in a game since. Over 92 games this season, the 2023 All-Star has posted a .294 batting average with nine home runs and 35 RBIs. He is eligible to rejoin the active roster on August 1.
Originally the Rangers’ first-round pick — eighth overall — in the 2019 MLB Draft, Jung has put together a career line of .264 with 58 home runs and 196 RBIs across 417 games in a Texas uniform.
Smith, also 28, is making his third appearance with the Rangers’ big league roster this season. In 40 games, he is batting .230 with one run scored and eight RBIs. The five-year veteran has shown his flexibility by playing five different positions in 2026, with second base seeing the most action at 34 games and 30 starts.
Since coming over from the New York Yankees in 2021, Smith has appeared in 496 games with Texas, hitting .236 with 32 home runs and 136 RBIs.
