LOS ANGELES -- Wyatt Langford didn’t get to enjoy his first home run of the season for very long.
The Rangers’ left fielder had entered Friday's 8-7 loss to the Dodgers hitting just .160 with 13 strikeouts through 12 games. But in the top of the fifth inning, the 24-year-old lifted a Tyler Glasnow curveball into the Dodgers’ bullpen in left field. The ball traveled a Statcast-projected 365 feet, just enough to get over the 360-foot wall and the outstretched glove of left fielder Teoscar Hernández.
But as soon as he started rounding the bases, Langford could tell something was off. He exited the game in the bottom of the sixth inning with right quad tightness.
“I think it was on the swing when I hit the home run, I guess I kind of reached down to get it,” Langford said. “And when I started jogging, I just kind of felt tight. Not bad at all originally.”
Langford got his leg wrapped in the clubhouse and returned to the field on defense in the bottom half of the fifth, but he was replaced by Ezequiel Duran in the sixth. He will have imaging done on Saturday and said he could return for Sunday’s series finale depending on the results.
"I think it’s pretty minor,” Langford said. “And then hopefully based on what we see on the imaging, be able to avoid the IL.”
Manager Skip Schumaker said Langford had wanted to take his next at-bat, but they decided to play it safe and take him out to avoid having him run the bases again.
Despite the injury, Langford said it still felt good to get his first home run on the board.
“It’s always good to hit a home run,” he said. “But I definitely wasn’t as happy as I normally would be when I hit a home run. I knew it didn’t feel right when I was running around the bases.”
Langford has missed time in each of his two seasons in the big leagues, including three oblique-related IL stints last season. He played 134 games in both 2024 and ‘25 and staying healthy is a key as he looks to take another step forward in 2026. Even with the injuries last season, Langford led the Rangers with 22 home runs as he became the youngest Ranger to record a 20-home run, 20-stolen base campaign. Expectations for Langford entering 2026 were sky-high.
The severity of Friday’s ailment is unclear. But one thing is certain: The 2023 fourth-overall pick is key to the Rangers’ success this season.