Texas Rangers to place Wyatt Langford on IL with hamstring injury

Texas Rangers star newcomer Wyatt Langford will have to take some time off due to a hamstring strain, with the club putting him on the IL on Sunday afternoon.

According to reporting by Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, manager Bruce Bochy said Langford has a strain that is slightly more severe than Grade 1. His expected absence is three to four weeks.

Langford left Saturday’s game against the Kansas City Royals with tightness in his right hamstring.

The injury occurred in the fifth inning when Langford attempted to leg out an infield single. He pulled up after a few steps and couldn’t muster more than a slight jog the rest of the way.

By the time he got back to the dugout, the decision was made to pull him from the game.

After his meteoric rise to the Major League ranks, success has been elusive for Wyatt Langford. A highlight included an inside-the-park home run, but he is currently hitting just .224, having played in 31 games with 116 at-bats.

Langford has five extra-base hits — three doubles, a triple and a home run. He also has 11 RBI and has walked 11 times.

The Rangers will certainly be hoping he can get healthy in a hurry and return to the form that made him one of the fastest Major League call-ups in recent memory. At this time last year, Langford was still suiting up for the Florida Gators.

He was a monster at the college level, too.

Wyatt Langford, who was the No. 4 overall pick in the MLB Draft by the Rangers, was a unanimous 2023 first-team All-American. He also made the 2023 College World Series All-Tournament Team after the Gators advanced to the NCAA championship series.

The talented slugger hit .373 in his junior season at Florida, which included 21 home runs, 28 doubles and three triples. He had 57 RBI and also stole nine bases.