DALLAS – The Texas Rangers have placed third baseman Josh Jung on the 10-day injured list due to neck spasms ahead of their series finale against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. In response, the team has called up infielder Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A Round Rock.
Jung experienced neck stiffness during an exhibition game at home on Monday night and left after two at-bats. Although he sat out the exhibition finale on Tuesday, he started in the first two regular-season matchups.
For Sunday’s game, Ezequiel Duran took the starting spot at third base for Texas, with Jonathan Ornelas playing shortstop. The previous day, Josh Smith initially began the game at third base but sustained a left quad contusion while chasing a foul ball. Though he remained in the game at first, Duran later pinch-hit for him and took over third base duties.
Manager Bruce Bochy expressed optimism that Smith will be fit to play in Monday night’s game against Cincinnati. Jung, who was an AL All-Star starting rookie third baseman in 2023, had an impressive start last season, hitting .412 with two homers and six RBIs in his first four games. However, his season was disrupted by a fractured right wrist from a pitch while swinging, causing him to miss 102 games before returning on July 30. This setback came on the heels of missing much of spring training with a left calf strain.
Ornelas joins the roster having previously recorded a .205 batting average over 26 games with the Rangers in the last two seasons.