Rangers’ First Base Dilemma Continues as Jake Burger’s Return Delayed Until August
The Texas Rangers will have to keep patching together first base duties as Jake Burger remains sidelined and nowhere near returning to the field.
Manager Bruce Bochy shared Friday that Burger is still struggling with a left quadriceps strain that has kept him from even light jogging. “Jake’s coming along a little slower. He’s still a couple of weeks away,” Bochy said. “He’s not able to jog at all.”
Burger was placed on the 10-day injured list on July 16 (retroactive to July 13), but his return window has now shifted further, with a rehab stint unlikely before the second week of August. This marks his second IL stint in a month, following a left oblique injury suffered in late June. He was only briefly reactivated before reinjuring himself.
Before going down, Burger had appeared in 75 games, hitting .228/.259/.401 with 11 home runs and 35 RBI. Early-season struggles led to a brief Triple-A assignment in May to help him reset his swing.
In the meantime, the Rangers will continue to rotate options at first base. Rowdy Tellez, who was added to the roster after the All-Star break, is currently seeing time as a platoon bat against righties. He’s 2-for-11 so far, but one of those hits was a home run. Josh Smith, despite being a lefty bat, got the start Friday against a left-handed Braves pitcher and continues to shine in his utility role. He’s slashing .275/.352/.411 with eight homers and 25 RBI, and Friday marked his 21st start at first base.
Ezequiel Duran is also an option, and the team hopes Joc Pederson—currently on a rehab assignment—will be ready to return soon. Pederson is expected to play first base during his rehab games and could provide more flexibility upon his return.
With Burger out for the foreseeable future, the Rangers will rely on versatility and depth as they try to stabilize production at first ba
