Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger will undergo wrist surgery later this week to repair a tendon sheath in his left wrist, as confirmed to The Dallas Morning News. The injury dates back to mid-August, and while no official recovery timeline has been given, the procedure is similar to one teammate Josh Jung had in 2024 — and Jung was ready by spring training.
Burger, 29, was acquired by the Rangers last offseason in a trade with the Marlins, part of an effort to boost the team’s offense against high-velocity pitches. In exchange, Texas sent prospects Maximo Acosta, Echedry Vargas, and Brayan Mendoza to Miami. Despite his past success against four-seam fastballs — including a .302 average and .651 slugging with the Marlins in 2024 — Burger struggled in 2025, batting just .195 with a .416 slugging percentage against them.
His overall performance this season was the worst of his career: a .236/.269/.419 slash line, a career-low 90.4 mph average exit velocity, and just a 13.6% home run-to-flyball ratio. Burger admitted that a cortisone shot helped manage the wrist pain temporarily, but he eventually felt the tendon “popping,” which contributed to a poor finish to his season.
Injuries hampered Burger throughout the year. He missed time in June with a strained oblique and again in July with a quad injury. His struggles were apparent early, leading to a demotion to Triple-A in May after a rough start to the season. Though he improved slightly after being recalled — hitting .254 with a .453 slugging percentage — he remained inconsistent. His walk rate dropped to just 3.2%, one of the lowest in the league, and his chase and swing rates were among the highest.
Looking ahead, the Rangers are hopeful that a healthy offseason will lead to a bounce-back year in 2026. Burger remains under team control for three more seasons and is expected to enter arbitration this winter. For now, he projects as the team’s starting first baseman heading into next year, though further roster changes could be on the horizon after another season without a playoff appearance.
