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June 17: 3B Josh Smith out of starting lineup for fourth straight game
Smith, who has been dealing with hamstring and glute tightness, was out of the Rangers' starting lineup for the fourth straight game for Monday's opener against the Mets. The infielder came off the bench in three of Texas’ six games on the road, but he hasn’t started since Thursday against the Dodgers.

Smith is slashing .294/.384/.436 in 68 games this season. He acknowledged that he’d been dealing with tightness for about a week.

“It'll be another day or two before he hits the field,” manager Bruce Bochy said.

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10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP Josh Sborz (right rotator cuff strain)
Expected return: TBD
Sborz began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on June 16 and allowed two runs on two hits and a walk. He threw 20 pitches (10 strikes) and recorded two outs in his first rehab appearance.

Sborz exited Game 2 of a doubleheader against the A’s on May 8 with right shoulder tightness after throwing eight pitches, seven of which were balls. His velocity was down 3-4 mph across all of his pitches as well. Sborz already spent time on the IL earlier this season with a right rotator cuff strain. (Last updated: June 16)

OF Evan Carter (lower back soreness)
Expected return: July
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said on June 4 that Carter’s back injury is a little worse than they thought. They initially thought lower back tightness for Carter is now being classified as a stress reaction, according to Bochy. The rookie outfielder may miss another month or more as he recovers.

Carter missed seven games from May 11-17 with back soreness, but returned without an IL stint initially. He missed time in the Minors with a stress fracture in his back in 2021, so the Rangers have been cautious with him.

Bochy believes that the injury has been bothering Carter more than he let on, and that’s affected his performance at the plate, where he hit just .095/.156/.143 over his last 15 games. (Last updated: June 4)

60-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP Jacob deGrom (right UCL repair surgery)
Expected return: After the All-Star break
deGrom said he threw off a mound for the first time on June 17. His bullpen session included about 15 pitches, all fastballs.

“I’m feeling really good,” deGrom said. “[The bullpen] went really well, so one day at a time. I’ve got two more times this week and then just keep moving forward. I definitely want to be out there. That's the hardest thing, you want to be out there competing. But I've been through this before, so I knew what to expect and it was a long road. The main thing was just trying to be smart, not doing too much. We've been sticking to the program. Everything has felt good along the way.”

He began playing catch on Feb. 12 and resumed again on the first official day of spring workouts on Feb. 14 -- just under eight months after surgery to repair a torn right UCL that ended his 2023 season. It was the second similar operation for the 35-year-old deGrom, who had Tommy John surgery following his first professional season in 2010.

General manager Chris Young pointed out that timelines are fluid when it comes to injuries, but he also said the ace is progressing well in his rehab with an eye on returning around August.

deGrom was officially transferred to the 60-day injured list on March 22. (Last updated: June 17)

RHP Max Scherzer (herniated disk and right thumb soreness)
Expected return: Late June
Scherzer threw 79 pitches in 4 2/3 innings in Triple-A Round Rock's game against Tacoma on June 15, striking out eight. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Scherzer's next start will be with the Texas Rangers. He did not say when that would be, though. (Last updated: June 17)

3B Josh Jung (right wrist fracture)
Expected return: Late June
Jung began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on June 16 and went 2-for-3 in his first game. Previously, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that the goal for Jung would be to log 30 at-bats before activating him.

Rangers general manager Chris Young said Jung had successful surgery on his fractured wrist on April 2, but when the surgeon went in for the procedure, Jung's wrist revealed a bit more extensive damage than they were hoping. While the initial timeline after X-rays showed around six weeks of recovery time, after surgery, Jung is looking closer to between eight and 10 weeks, Young said. Jung was transferred to the 60-day IL on April 8.

Jung was removed from the Rangers’ 9-3 win over the Rays on April 1 at Tropicana Field after being hit by a pitch on his right hand as he swung at it. In his first four games of 2024, Jung went 7-for-17 with two walks, one double, one triple and two homers. (Last updated: June 16)

RHP Tyler Mahle (right UCL repair surgery)
Expected return: Late July
Mahle threw live batting practice on June 12, and he is scheduled to take a week off before throwing one or two more live BP sessions, after which he will go on a rehab assignment.

Mahle underwent Tommy John surgery when he was with the Twins last May, and the Rangers signed him to a two-year, $22 million deal this offseason. The injury ruined a promising 2023 season with Minnesota, as Mahle posted a 3.16 ERA with 28 strikeouts over five starts. Mahle was officially moved to the 60-day IL at the start of the regular season. (Last updated: June 5)

LHP Cody Bradford (lower back strain/stress fracture on rib)
Expected return: June
Bradford has begun throwing from about 120 feet, he said on June 5. The left-hander emphasized that he feels like he’s recovering much better than he was before his most recent shutdown and he should begin long tossing soon.

He originally landed on the injured list with a lower back strain after he was unable to throw a bullpen between starts. The initial plan was for him to miss the minimum 15 days, but after further evaluations, doctors found a “very small” stress fracture on the 12th rib on the right side, according to manager Bruce Bochy. There is still no firm timeline, but Bradford believes he’s well on his way back to the mound.

The 26-year-old lefty had been Texas' best starter on the young season, having gone 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA over his first three starts. (Last updated: June 5)

INF Justin Foscue (left oblique strain)
Expected return: TBD
Foscue began a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League on June 5. The infielder, who collected his first MLB hit and RBI in the Rangers’ loss to the Astros on April 7, felt something during that swing and was placed on the 10-day injured list the following day. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on April 13. (Last updated: June 5)

RHP Austin Pruitt (right knee medial meniscus injury)
Expected return: TBD
In another blow to the Rangers' bullpen depth, Pruitt landed on the injured list after being evaluated at the beginning of the club’s nine-game homestand that started on April 23. He has posted a 12.46 ERA across four relief appearances for Texas this season.

Pruitt was transferred to the 60-day injured list on May 21. (Last updated: May 21)

RHP Carson Coleman (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: July
Coleman was selected by the Rangers in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft from the Yankees. He did not pitch in 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. In 2022, Coleman was named the Eastern League “Reliever of the Year” after going 2-3 with 15 saves and a 2.86 ERA across 35 relief appearances for Double-A Somerset. (Last updated: March 9)

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