ARLINGTON -- Another star Rangers player has had his season come to a premature end.
The Rangers placed outfielder Wyatt Langford on the injured list on Wednesday due to a left oblique strain sustained during the series opener on Tuesday against Minnesota, ending his season with just five games left. He joins the likes of Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Nathan Eovaldi and Evan Carter on the injured list.
Langford left Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Twins with left side tightness in the fifth inning. Additional scans revealed his third oblique strain of the season.
Langford missed games on Sept. 19-20 against the Marlins due to left side tightness, but returned to the lineup for the series finale on Sept. 21, when he launched his team-leading 22nd homer of the season. He said postgame Tuesday that he had been dealing with some side tightness dating back to the Rangers’ series in Houston from Sept. 15-17, but was able to play through it until recently.
With the Rangers officially eliminated from postseason contention, the staff felt it necessary to shut him down and prepare for 2026.
“He was playing with it a little bit even before we sat him the first time,” said manager Bruce Bochy. “And then he hit the home run, which was incredible with that oblique bothering him. He hit it well, too. But it's gotten a little bit worse. So, yeah, we can't risk it.”
The 23-year-old slashed .241/.344/.431 with a team-leading 22 home runs and 22 stolen bases. He also notched one triple, 25 doubles and 62 RBIs in 134 games in his second Major League season. He became the youngest Ranger to record a 20-home run, 20-stolen base campaign.
Despite a solid year, Langford has already had two separate stints on the injured list with oblique strains, first from April 9-20 and again from June 27-July 5.
“There were definitely a couple times -- like, a decent amount of time where I was fighting it,” Langford said of his season. “It's one of those things where it doesn't always hurt a ton, but it really affects your swing, just because that's pretty much all swing is, your rotation in the obliques. It's been aggravating, but it’s something I hope we can figure out as a staff.”