Joc Pederson’s injury forces Rangers into unexpected decision

Joc Pederson suffered a fracture in his right hand and is expected to miss several weeks from the Texas Rangers roster. In response to the loss of their designated hitter, the team has already made its first move.

“The Texas Rangers are calling up outfielder Alejandro Osuna, sources tell me and Kiley McDaniel. The 22-year-old started the year at Double-A and impressed enough in eight Triple-A games to get the call to the big leagues and try to help a Rangers offense that is 27th in runs scored,” Jeff Passan wrote on X about Osuna’s promotion to the majors.

It’s good news for both the Rangers and Osuna, though it’s worth noting that Blaine Crim and Dustin Harris were also under consideration—both with strong enough numbers to merit a call-up. Still, Osuna had been riding a hot streak.

When could Pederson return?

According to Shawn McFarland, Pederson is expected to return in approximately six weeks, which means he’ll miss all of June and could return sometime during the first week of July—possibly before or after Independence Day.

The Rangers aren’t losing much without Pederson

While Pederson is a veteran presence with value at the plate, the Rangers had not been getting his best version at the start of the current MLB season. Before the injury, he was hitting just .132 with only 16 hits in 144 plate appearances, along with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs.