Rangers lose slugger to IL ahead of series vs Mariners

The Texas Rangers placed Wyatt Langford on the 10-day injured list with an abdominal muscle strain, days before they head north to face the Seattle Mariners.

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Apr 9, 2025, 3:13 PM

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers placed Wyatt Langford on the 10-day injured list with an abdominal muscle strain, the team announced Wednesday.

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The 23-year-old left fielder was removed from Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs after his plate appearance in the seventh inning. He was diagnosed with a right oblique strain.

The Rangers are set to begin a three-game series against the Mariners in Seattle on Friday. The Mariners have their own injury concerns after losing both right fielder Victor Robles and second baseman Ryan Bliss to significant injuries this week.

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Langford started the Rangers’ first 12 games in left field and was batting .244 with a team-best four home runs. His 12 home runs since Sept. 1, 2024, rank second in the American League behind Aaron Judge’s 13 for the New York Yankees.

The Rangers recalled outfielder Dustin Harris, utility player Ezequiel Duran and infielder Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A Round Rock.

The Rangers had activated third baseman Josh Jung from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday after being sidelined because of neck spasms.

Jung, who batted seventh against the Chicago Cubs in his first appearance back, exited an exhibition game late last month because of neck stiffness but started each of the first two regular-season games against Boston.

Jung left the Rangers’ 4-1 win over the Red Sox on March 28 after re-aggravating his neck issues on a big defensive play with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. He made a backhanded play on Alex Bregman’s chopper near the line and then a strong throw to first base for the out.

The No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 amateur draft out of Texas Tech, Jung was the AL starter at third base in the All-Star Game during his rookie season in 2023 before he broke his left thumb on a fielding play at Miami that August. He returned to hit .308 (20 for 65) in the playoffs with three homers for the World Series champion Rangers.

Jung was hitting .412 with two homers and six RBIs in the first four games last season before his right wrist was fractured when hit by a pitch while swinging. He then missed 102 games before returning July 30. That was after he had been out most of spring training with a left calf strain.

Jung had surgery in February 2022 to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, a year after an operation to repair a stress fracture in his left foot. He made his big league debut playing the final 26 games of the 2022 season.

Seattle Sports staff made minor additions to this post.