Texas Rangers have been forced to make another roster adjustment after injuries continued to pile up early in the season. The club recently announced that infielder Josh Smith has been placed on the 10-day injured list because of a right glute strain, opening the door for young infielder Justin Foscue to return to the Major League roster.
The Rangers have already been dealing with several health concerns across the team, and the latest setback involving Smith only adds to the growing list of unavailable players. Just days earlier, outfielder Wyatt Langford landed on the injured list with a Grade 1 right flexor strain, creating another challenge for manager Skip Schumaker and the coaching staff as they attempt to keep the roster competitive.
Smith’s injury comes at a difficult time because of the value he brings to the Rangers lineup. Known for his defensive versatility, Smith has been capable of filling multiple positions around the infield while also contributing offensively when needed. Texas hopes the injury will not keep him sidelined for too long, with the expectation that he could potentially return before the end of May if his recovery progresses well.
In response to Smith’s absence, the Rangers recalled Foscue from Triple-A Round Rock, giving the former first-round draft pick another opportunity to establish himself at the highest level. While Foscue has yet to fully break through in the majors, the organization still believes there is untapped potential in his game.
This marks the third consecutive season in which Foscue has reached the Major Leagues since making his MLB debut in April 2024. So far, however, his time in the big leagues has been disappointing statistically. Across 19 MLB appearances entering this stint, Foscue has struggled to produce offensively, posting a .059 batting average. Although the sample size remains relatively small, he has not yet delivered the type of performance many expected after Texas selected him in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft.
Still, there are encouraging signs surrounding his latest promotion. Foscue has been one of the hotter hitters at Triple-A this season with the Round Rock Express. Before receiving the call-up, he was batting .287 with two home runs, 14 RBIs, and an impressive .833 OPS. Those numbers suggest he may be arriving in the majors with more confidence and momentum than during previous opportunities.
Texas likely views Foscue as a depth option capable of filling in at multiple spots while Smith recovers. He is expected to serve primarily as a bench bat at first, though he could receive occasional starts depending on matchups and performance. If he performs well enough, however, the Rangers may find it difficult to send him back down once Smith is healthy again.
Before suffering the injury, Smith had been off to a slow offensive start this season. He was batting .217 with no home runs and six RBIs. Because of those struggles, the Rangers may not need elite production from Foscue to stabilize the position. If the young infielder can simply provide consistent at-bats and capitalize on his opportunity, he could play a valuable role for Texas while the team works through its growing injury concerns.
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