Wednesday newsletter time: Josh Jung lands at Triple A. How long until Rangers promote him to the majors?
(Rangers Today/Jeff Wilson)
Josh Jung is only a level away from the major leagues.
He might also be only a few weeks away.
The third baseman, arguably the Rangers’ top prospect, was transferred Tuesday to Triple A Round Rock to continue his rehab assignment from offseason shoulder surgery, and promptly swatted a three-run homer at Oklahoma City.
That makes four home runs in nine games after Jung hit three in eight games/25 at-bats in the Arizona Complex League.
The Pacific Coast League will be step up in class. Round Rock opened a week-long series Tuesday night against the Dodgers’ Triple A affiliate, and hard-throwing right-hander Dustin May was the starter on a rehab assignment.
Jung can spend 30 days on rehab before the Rangers have to make a move. They could simply assign him to Round Rock or they could add him to the 40-man roster and promote him for his MLB debut.
The 30th day arrives Aug. 26, five days before active rosters can expand by three. That’s just more than two weeks away.
Round Rock plays this season until Sept. 28 on the extended Triple A schedule.
The guess here is that the Rangers give Jung until at least Sept. 1 before promoting him. He has to earn it, of course, but he might not have to hit .300 with a pile of home runs.
Jung is one of many Rangers prospects who would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason if not added to the 40-man roster by the Nov. 18 deadline. Obviously, he’s going to be protected, so the Rangers might as well do it over the final month.
Perez crumbles
The Rangers had to feel pretty darn good Tuesday heading to the bottom of the fourth inning at Houston.
They were up four runs, and Martin Perez hadn’t allowed a base runner.
By the end of the inning, though, the game was tied, and the Rangers ended up losing the opener of a three-game series, 7-5.
Perez was tagged for the loss, allowing seven runs in five-plus innings to snap his club record-tying streak of 19 straight starts without a loss. He walked three batters, all in the fourth. The big blow was a two-out grand slam in the fourth by Aledmys Diaz.
Marcus Semien started the game with a homer and Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia also connected for the Rangers, who have lost 26 of their past 29 games at Minute Maid Park.
That’s a staggering statistic.
Bubba robbed
The stiff Astros fan who interfered with Bubba Thompson’s flyball toward the left-field seats robbed the rookie of his first career home run.
Umpires called for a review of the flyball, which on television replay appeared to be headed into the front row of the Crawford Boxes. The replay umpire in New York, though, ruled there wasn’t indisputable evidence to overturn the on-field ruling of a double.
What a load of crap.
“Bubba deserved that one,” manager Chris Woodward said.
If the replay ump didn’t have a better replay angle, shame on MLB. Replay was initially established for boundary calls. It sure would make sense to put cameras, you know, at the boundaries.
Thompson, though, had two hits and his first career RBI. He stole a base without a throw, and went into the funky left-field corner for a nice catch.
But, man, he got screwed.
Doggy video!
Getting over the hump here today. Enjoy. See you Thursday.
Life is full of obstacles…ππΎπ pic.twitter.com/7XKg6ugpiH
— πoΜ΄gΜ΄ (@Yoda4ever) August 9, 2022
Jeff Wilson, jeff@rangerstoday.com
