BALTIMORE — Maybe Josh Jung did try too hard to get back too fast.
On Tuesday, Rangers manager Skip Schumaker gave the struggling third baseman a day off, just five games into the season against Baltimore right-hander Zach Eflin. Jung, who missed three weeks of spring training dealing with an adductor muscle strain, entered Tuesday 0 for 17 with no walks and seven strikeouts on the young season. He had the most plate appearances without reaching base in the majors thus far. Ezequiel Duran got the start at third.
“He started spring late,” Schumaker said. “I think there could be some timing and all that stuff he’s fighting to get through right now. And sometimes you just need a mental and physical break for one day to have a reset, and, you know, to get back in there tomorrow. We thought it would be a good work day for him with the hitting guys. In my opinion, he’s getting close. It might not be the break he wanted, but that’s OK. Part of my job is to give guys the day when they need it.”
Rangers
According to Fangraphs, Jung had the highest chase percentage among Rangers hitters at 37.5% through the first four games. While not the worst in the league, it was significantly higher than league average. The Rangers, as a team, had the third-lowest chase rate in the majors at 28.3%.
In addition, Jung has struggled to get the ball in the air. Of his 17 outs, eight are ground balls, seven are strikeouts and two are fly balls. His ground ball rate was tied for third-highest in the majors and his “hard-hit” rate of 10% ranked 10th lowest in the majors.