Rangers' Jung fractures wrist on hit by pitch

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung suffered a fractured right wrist when he was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning of Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, manager Bruce Bochy announced, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

"I talked to him briefly - this hurts," Bochy said, according to Bally Sports. "I feel for the kid because he's had to deal with so much. It's gonna be a little while, but he'll be back."

Jung was off to a terrific start at the plate through the first four games of the season, hitting .417 with a pair of home runs and six RBIs. The 26-year-old helped Texas secure a 9-3 victory over the Rays with a three-run homer in the first inning to open the scoring.

He also missed six weeks of action last season with a fractured left thumb. The Rangers could turn to either Ezequiel Duran or Josh Smith at third base in Jung's absence.

Jung emerged as a key cog in Texas' offense during his rookie campaign. He finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting after hitting 23 home runs with a .781 OPS over 122 games. Jung also hit .308 with three home runs, four doubles, one triple, and eight RBIs during the Rangers' run to winning the 2023 World Series.