28-Year-Old Leaves the Texas Rangers Shorthanded 45 Games in the 2026 Season
The 2026 season was shaping up to be a test of resilience for Texas Rangers utility man Josh Smith, with signs of position battles and batting lineup inconsistency beginning in Spring Training. Still, a routine path to recovery has been flipped on its head to a now serious medical battle. The 28-year-old infielder, who had been battling to cement his place in the infield and in the everyday lineup after the departure of New York Mets Marcus Semien, was originally put on the 10-day injured list back on May 4th due to a right glute strain. Lower-body injuries are already a test to the everyday baseball player, and it can be frustrating to deal with in the midst of what was an early-season slump. Smith also had to deal with a nagging battle with left wrist inflammation during the rehab process. While actively trying to get back onto the field for his team in the middle of a roller-coaster start to the season, the Georgie native was stonewalled by an illness that goes beyond the game of baseball.
On Wednesday, May 13th, Smith started to feel more sick, which led to him needing to step away from rehab assignments and see a doctor, and in a short turnaround, led to a serious hospitalization, and just two days later, on May 15th, led the former LSU Tiger to be diagnosed with viral meningitis, leaving the Texas Rangers organization stunned. Viral meningitis, in short, is an acute inflammation of the protective membranes enclosing the brain and spinal cord. When diagnosed, it's extremely important to be isolated and monitored closely by doctors. The Rangers organization announced that Smith is expected to remain hospitalized in a Dallas-area medical center for seven to 10 days, or until he reaches a full and stable recovery. Chris Young, the President of Baseball Operations for the Rangers, has expressed the team's exclusive concern for Smith and isn't worried about timelines or how soon he'll return to the field; they're going to focus on his long-term health and well-being.
From a baseball perspective, Smith's diagnosis makes the ongoing infield crisis even worse for new Rangers manager Skip Schumaker. The Rangers are currently in a close early-season battle in the American League West, currently sitting in third place with a record of 21-23, just two games behind the division-leading Athletics. Rangers star shortstop Corey Seager has been in the middle of a massive offensive slump, being hitless in his last seven games, and carrying an anemic .179 batting average. This is coming after he got at least one hit in each game against the Detroit Tigers at the beginning of May. The Rangers' offense as a whole has been in a slump, with injuries piling on and inconsistent offensive performances, as they've gone on skids where scoring runs with runners in scoring position has been nearly impossible. Still, their excellent bullpen has kept them in games, which is why they're in a position where winning games against division rivals is a must. A perfect example is May 15th, the first game of the series against the Astros on the road, and they almost became victims of a no-hitter until Justin Foscue, a freshly called-up infielder, got a hit on the board to keep the game alive in the eighth inning. Without the former AL Silver Slugger Award winner in the lineup and his versatility, the Rangers coaching staff has been forced to rely on different defensive alignments, thrusting the other Rangers' Swiss-Army-Knife, Ezequiel Duran, into an everyday middle-infield role and having Jake Burger be consistent on the field and in the batter's box. The utility man's absence drains the team's depth, leaving the shorthanded 2023 World Series Champions searching for solutions during a crucial, exhausting stretch of their schedule.
