Rangers Rookie Wyatt Langford Is Racing to Beat His Own Injury Timeline

Wyatt Langford has a different schedule in mind than the Texas Rangers do. And he’s trying to make it happen.

The rookie outfielder has been on the 10-day injured list since late June with a hamstring strain. The team initially said he’d be out until after the All-Star break. Langford? He’s pushing to get back before that break even starts.

On Tuesday, DLLS Sports reporter Jeff Wilson noted that Langford was running at high intensity and told the team he wants to return ahead of schedule. Just a few days earlier, the Rangers had said the opposite.

This is the kind of thing that happens when a 24-year-old with something to prove refuses to sit still. Langford told reporters right after the injury that he didn’t think he’d need more than those 10 days on the IL. He might be right.

A Slow Start, Then a Sudden Surge

Langford’s season has been weird. He’s only played 40 games. The first month or so was rough. But in the seven games before he got hurt, he was absolutely crushing it — slashing .370/.433/.407. That stretch bumped his overall numbers to .278/.324/.500 with an .824 OPS, eight homers and 20 RBIs.

The Rangers have missed that production. They’ve dropped three of their last four games, including a series loss to the Tigers. They start a three-game set against the Angels on Tuesday, then close the first half with three in Houston starting Friday.

Manager Skip Schumaker tried to stay measured when talking about the injury. “First of all, it’s tough news with Wyatt, but having said that, when you hear flexor, you do fear the worst,” he said via MLB.com. “Hopefully it’s a very short stint, and he’s back on day 11.”

Langford seems intent on making that hope a reality. Whether the Rangers’ medical staff lets him is another question. But for a team that’s been inconsistent and just lost some momentum, getting their young bat back sooner rather than later could make a difference. Especially with the Astros waiting.