The Texas Rangers are now waiting to see if they’ll lost their first baseman after he suffered an injury on Friday night.
The Texas Rangers are waiting on test results for first baseman Jake Burger after he exited Friday’s game with tightness in his left side.
Burger appeared to tweak something during an at-bat against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. As he attempted to swing at a low pitch and struck out, he immediately grabbed at his left side while walking away from the plate.
He was removed from the game following the at-bat, with Ezequiel Duran stepping in at first base. Despite the injury scare, the Rangers (37-39) went on to win the game, 6-2.
Following the game, MLB.com reported that Jake Burger is scheduled to undergo scans Saturday morning to determine the extent of his injury. The Rangers are set to face Pittsburgh in the second game of the series at 3:05 p.m. Central Time.
Burger has a history of similar injuries. According to his MLB.com profile, he dealt with a left intercostal strain last season while with the Miami Marlins, which sidelined him for three weeks. In 2023, during his time with the Chicago White Sox, he missed less than two weeks due to a strained left oblique.
He left Friday’s game carrying a .220/.253/.403 slash line with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs. Burger had been off to a slow start in his debut season with Texas and was sent to Triple-A Round Rock on May 2 to work on his swing. He rejoined the major league roster on May 12.
Before being optioned to Triple-A, Jake Burger was hitting just .190/.231/.330 with a .561 OPS, tallying three home runs and 12 RBIs.
Since returning to the big leagues, he’s shown improvement. Over 34 games, he’s posted a .242/.270/.462 slash line with a .732 OPS, while adding seven home runs and 17 RBIs. He’s split time between first base and designated hitter, the latter role coming as a result of Joc Pederson’s injury.
If Burger is unavailable for Saturday’s game, the Rangers will likely turn to either Josh Smith or Ezequiel Duran—both of whom have made starts at first base this season. Another option is Blaine Crim from Triple-A Round Rock, although he’s managed just one hit across two call-ups with Texas this year.
Leave a Reply