Jake Burger Returns to Rangers Lineup After Wrist Contusion

Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger returned to the starting lineup on Sunday, Aug. 23, dodging a serious injury after being struck on his left wrist by a pitch a day earlier against the Los Angeles Angels.

During a 3-0 loss to the Angels on Aug. 22, Burger exited in the fifth inning after being hit in the third by a 95.1 mph sinker from starter Ryan Johnson. Initial X-rays came back negative, diagnosing him with a left wrist contusion.

The hit made impact near the scar from a tendon surgery Burger underwent on the same wrist during the previous offseason. Despite the lingering soreness, he started at first base in Sunday's 5-3 victory over the Angels, going 0-for-3 with a walk.

Texas manager Skip Schumaker noted the initial severity of the swelling and pain immediately following Saturday's game.

"It got him good," said Schumaker. "He's pretty swollen, pretty sore so far. It was pretty scary.

Burger is one of the toughest guys I've been around. So for him not to be able to go back in, you knew it was pretty sore."

The Rangers kept Burger listed as day-to-day following the game as he evaluated his readiness with medical staff.

"Fortunately, that wasn't a bone surgery. It was the tendon and the sheath," Burger explained. "Obviously, it's going to be a little sore, and it's pretty swollen. … Right after that defensive inning, I talked with Lucky [head trainer Matt Lucero] and we decided to go down into the cage and see how it felt. I just felt like it was probably going to be more of a detriment to the team staying in there and trying to gut that one out."

The slugger has remained an integral component of the Texas offense, recording 21 home runs and a team-leading 73 RBIs through 123 appearances this season.

"I want to be there every single day," Burger said. "When I come out of the game, I kind of get frustrated with it. But I felt like with the swelling in there, I felt like my range of motion was just not there for the swing.

That was probably the right call tonight. I’ll go to sleep tonight, get the swelling out and hopefully be in there tomorrow."

Following additional evaluation and treatment, Burger noted an immediate improvement in movement before taking the field on Sunday morning.

"It already feels better in terms of range of motion. I can deal with a little soreness. So hopefully, it's just a little soreness and the range of motion is back tomorrow," Burger said.

The timing of his Sunday return coincided with Down Syndrome Awareness Day at Globe Life Field, a personal cause for Burger and his wife, Ashlyn, whose daughter Penelope was born with Down syndrome in 2024.

"I thought I was done," he said. "I feel like I dodged an extreme bullet. It caught it flush.

But there’s a difference to me between soreness and pain. It’s going to be a little sore, but I can play with that."

Burger also pointed to the support from the franchise and the chance to feature personalized gear for the cause during Players Weekend.

"The organization has been unbelievable to us from [Penelope’s] open heart surgery to now," Burger said. "They’ve helped us bring awareness. It’s so cool to be able to use the bat and all of this stuff to bring more awareness this weekend with the added tie-in."

Schumaker reiterated his assessment of the hit following Saturday's loss as team medical personnel scheduled further scans.

"That got him good. He's pretty swollen, pretty sore," Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. "So far, the X-rays are negative.

But we'll probably get more scans, and he'll see the doctor later tonight. But it squared him up pretty good."

The manager added that the pain clearly impacted Burger's ability to swing properly.

"Had a tough time swinging the bat when he went down to see if he could still stay in. Burger's one of the toughest guys I've ever been around. So if he's not able to go back in, you knew it was pretty sore," Schumaker said.

With Sunday's victory, Texas remained tied with Houston for first place in the American League West.