It starts today. Guys in Rangers uniforms face off against guys in Royals uniforms at 2:05 in Surprise, Arizona. 

Most of the players in the lineup this early in spring games will never be seen on a major league roster. So, for a few games, this is the highlight of their careers. It’s a chance to showcase their talents to, unfortunately, nobody.

It’s a brutal business being a minor leaguer, fighting, with dozens of other players for what might be one open slot on the twenty-six-man roster. 

One of the certainties of spring training is guys coming into the season claiming to be “in the best shape of their careers.” With Josh Jung, that might actually be the truth. He comes into camp without an injury for the first time in his career. He has missed most of the last three spring trainings due to injury.

Going into his first spring training in 2021, Jung had a stress fracture in his foot. He played in just 78 games that year at both Double-A and Triple-A.

By the time 2022 spring training rolled around, Jung was the Rangers top prospect, the heir apparent at third. He tore a labrum in his throwing shoulder early in camp which derailed his major league callup. He had a tune-up in Frisco, then got into 26 games at the end of the season with the Rangers.

His grand arrival was going to be 2023. He got out of spring okay. But then broke a thumb on a line drive at third.

He came into camp last year and almost immediately went down with a calf strain that cost him most of Spring Training. 

So far, after four days, he has not broken. Fingers crossed.