What a 27-Year-Old Infielder Can Bring as 2026 Texas Rangers Plagued by Injury Bug
Former 2020 first-round pick Justin Foscue was recently called up back to the Texas Rangers as utility man Josh Smith was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 5th due to a right glute strain. It’s a tough blow for the former Silver Slugger Award recipient, as Smith was batting .350 over his last seven games. Foscue will be giving some needed depth across the infield, more specifically at first and second base. The bulk of the starts at second base can be assumed will be taken by the other Rangers utility man, Ezequiel Duran, but Foscue provides a right-handed alternative at first base, or even as a high-leverage pinch hitter.
The former Mississippi State Bulldog has had an extremely impressive season so far for the Round Rock Express, the Triple-A affiliate for the Rangers. So far, in 31 games, Foscue has appeared in 31 games, batting an average of .287 and an on-base percentage of .407. He’s got two home runs to complement his success in the batter's box, with 14 runs batted in, and three stolen bases. If the 27-year-old can continue his hot bat back into the majors, he can contribute to a somewhat anemic Rangers offense as of late, and it may be the young bat and personality the Rangers need to get the ball rolling again.
The Rangers are banking on the 27-year-old to continue the production he’s contributing for the Express, more because his production when in the Major League spotlight is the complete opposite. He’s gotten one at-bat in the 2026 season, going hitless against the Yankees in one attempt, and he appeared in four games in the 2025 season, with nine at-bats. In that time, he produced one hit, two runs batted in, and held an .111 batting average. His one hit in 2025 was somewhat of a career highlight because his hit was a two-run double on July 1st against Baltimore, and it snapped a hitless 44 at-bat skid dating back to his MLB debut in 2024, and it was historically the longest hitless span to start a career in Rangers history.
With the amount of instability that the Rangers' lineup has been producing, with multiple batters getting cycled in and out, it isn’t wrong to suggest that Foscue would make a positive impact. Given his elite plate discipline in the Minors, where he’s walking more than he strikes out, Skip Schumaker and the Rangers’ coaching staff have reason to remain optimistic that with a sustained amount of starts, the batting production will eventually translate to the big league level. The Rangers are fresh off a 6-1 win in New York against the Yankees on May 6th and will finish out the road trip on May 7th. Then, they’ll be back home to start a new series against the Chicago Cubs, where we’ll see where the coaching staff will have Foscue play and where they’ll insert him in the batting lineup.
