The Texas Rangers have made a move to reinforce their lineup amidst the absence of injured third baseman, Josh Jung, by promoting Jonathan Ornelas to the major leagues. Ornelas, who is currently on the 40-man roster, emerges as the most sensible choice to fill the void left by Jung’s injury.
Jung, a key player in the Rangers lineup, suffered a fractured thumb that will keep him sidelined for what is likely an extended period. The Rangers are hoping that Ornelas, can step up and make an impact at the Major League level.
Jonathan Ornelas was drafted by the Rangers in the 3rd round of the 2018 draft and will become the sixth Rangers prospect to make their major league debut this year.
Some fans wanted Justin Foscue to be called up. He provides a more pop and has walked more than he strikes out. The decision to call up Ornelas is based partly upon him being on the 40-man roster. While his .250 batting average may not be considered impressive, Ornelas has versatility and provides strong defense to contribute.
Ornelas has a slash line of .250/.360/.348/.708, with 5 home runs and 39 RBI with the Express. Additionally, he has 55 walks on the season, which is 10 more than he had all of last season in Double-A with the Frisco RoughRiders.
Speaking of last season, Ornelas tied the RoughRiders single season hit record with 157 hits while he hit .299/.360/.425/.785 with 14 home runs and 64 RBI.
Congratulations to Jonathan Ornelas on his call-up! He was ranked 14th on The Prospect Times’ Texas Rangers top prospects list.
