Rangers place Third Baseman on 10-day IL with neck spasms.
The Texas Rangers placed third baseman Josh Jung on the 10-day injured list due to neck spasms ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the Boston Red Sox and called up infielder Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A Round Rock.
Jung had two at-bats in an exhibition game at home on Monday night before leaving due to neck stiffness. He didn’t play in Tuesday’s exhibition finale but started in the first two regular-season games.
On Sunday, Ezequiel Duran started at third base for Texas, with Ornelas at shortstop.
Josh Smith started at third on Saturday but sustained a left quad contusion while chasing a foul ball in the first inning. He remained in the game initially, but Duran pinch-hit for him in the first and took over at third base.
Manager Bruce Bochy expressed hope that Smith would be ready for Monday night’s game in Cincinnati.
Jung, the AL All-Star third baseman as a rookie in 2023, had a .412 batting average with two home runs and six RBIs in the first four games last season before suffering a fractured right wrist after being hit by a pitch while swinging. He missed 102 games and returned on July 30, following a lengthy absence from spring training due to a left calf strain.
Ornelas has appeared in 26 games for Texas over the past two seasons, posting a .205 batting average.
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