After leaving Tuesday’s contest against the Cubs due to injury, Wyatt Langford has been placed on the 10-day IL due to a right oblique strain. The exact severity of the ailment is not yet known, but oblique injuries tend to cost a player multiple weeks, so we might not see the former first-round pick again until May.
The injury is a massive blow to a Rangers’ lineup that has underwhelmed and underperformed despite a winning start to the season for Texas. In 48 plate appearances, Langford was slashing .244/.333/.561 with four home runs, two stolen bases and a 151 wRC+. As a team, the Rangers entered play on Wednesday hitting below the Mendoza line (.198) with just a 76 wRC+.
The 23-year-old was the fourth-overall pick just two years ago. Langford struggled to live up to lofty expectations in his rookie campaign, yet appeared to turn the corner late in the season, hitting .300 with a .422 wOBA in September. Langford appears to be a star in the making — if he can stay on the field, that is.
