Jung (calf strain) opens rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock

SEATTLE -- With fewer than 20 games left in the regular season, the Rangers could get one last boost in their playoff push.

Third baseman Josh Jung began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday.

Jung had been healthy through much of the first half of the season, becoming the Rangers’ most consistent hitter before landing on the injured list on July 25 with a left calf strain. He was slashing .294/.361/.441 with an .802 OPS at the time of his injury.

How did he perform?

Jung went 2-for-5 with a single and an RBI double as the designated hitter for Round Rock.

What’s next?

It’s unclear how much time Jung will need in Round Rock, but one thing is clear: If he’s healthy and recovering well on a day-to-day basis, it will be better to have him with the big league club sooner rather than later.

What are they saying?

“There's always a plan, and then it can change quickly,” manager Skip Schumaker said ahead of the Rangers’ Tuesday game against the Mariners. “If JJ has a good day, it could be quicker than what the plan laid out is potentially. If he runs first to thirds and he gets a double and he comes out good and feels good with his arm strength at third -- I mean we have 18 games left and this thing can happen fast as far as activation. We'll see how he feels, but hopefully he feels really good, and it makes the decision easy for us.”

What else?

Jung has been doing all baseball activities except full-speed running for weeks in an effort to keep up his strength and keep the baseball fresh for his eventual return.