MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Texas Rangers designated hitter Josh Jung was diagnosed with a fractured bone in his right hand on Friday after he was hit by a pitch in the first inning of the Rangers’ 10-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins.
Rangers manger Skip Schumaker said after the game that X-rays showed a fracture in the fifth metacarpal of Jung’s right hand, but the team was planning on doing more testing and evaluation on Saturday before making a decision on his status.
Jung said he was “devastated” and knew as soon as he was hit by a 94.6-mph fastball from Twins starter Joe Ryan that the bone was broken.
“I felt like the bones kind of got pushed,” said Jung, who stayed in the game to run the bases but was removed for a pinch hitter in the third inning.
The Rangers are battling the Houston Astros for the AL West title, and losing Jung — while fellow DH Joc Pederson is already on the IL with a hand fracture — doesn’t help their cause.
“It’s not ideal at this time of the year,” Schumaker said. “But we’ve still got two games left and we’ve got to figure this thing out.”
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