Rangers' Skip Schumaker experiments with lineup, puts Josh Jung in unfamiliar spot

Texas third baseman Jung bats ninth against Mariners as manager Schumaker tries to find the right order

Apr. 6, 2026 at 11:08pm

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Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker is experimenting with his lineup, putting third baseman Josh Jung in the ninth spot for Monday's game against the Seattle Mariners. Jung is 0-for-14 lifetime against Mariners starter Logan Gilbert, while other Rangers hitters like Josh Smith and Joc Pederson have fared slightly better against Gilbert. Schumaker said he's trying to find the best lineup order each day, with the top four or five spots relatively set depending on the opposing pitcher, while he's still figuring out the middle and bottom of the order as players get comfortable.

Why it matters

The Rangers are looking to get their offense going after a slow start to the season, and Schumaker is trying different lineup configurations to find the right combination. Jung, one of the team's top young players, has struggled against Gilbert, so Schumaker is hoping dropping him in the order will help spark his bat.

The details

Schumaker said he prefers not to look too far ahead and instead focuses on the immediate lineup for each game. For Monday's game against the Mariners, he has Jung batting ninth, the fourth time in his career he's been in that spot. Other Rangers hitters like Josh Smith and Joc Pederson have slightly better numbers against Gilbert, so Schumaker is hoping the new lineup order can get the offense going.

  • The Rangers are 4 games into the 2026 MLB season.

The players

Skip Schumaker

The manager of the Texas Rangers, who is experimenting with his lineup to try to find the right combination to spark the team's offense.

Josh Jung

The Texas Rangers' third baseman, who is batting ninth in the lineup for Monday's game against the Mariners despite being one of the team's top young players.

Logan Gilbert

The Seattle Mariners starting pitcher, who has had success against Rangers hitter Josh Jung in the past.

Josh Smith

A Texas Rangers hitter who has fared slightly better than Jung against Mariners starter Logan Gilbert.

Joc Pederson

A Texas Rangers hitter who has also fared slightly better than Jung against Mariners starter Logan Gilbert.

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What they’re saying

“I'm trying to figure out an order that works best each day. The top four or five-ish is going to be probably set depending on right or left on the mound. I feel really good about that part. [I'm] just trying to figure out — as guys get comfortable and get hot again and get rolling here during the season — then we'll try and figure out the middle to the bottom.”

— Skip Schumaker, Rangers Manager

“I wanted to get Josh in there again. [He's] playing a really good third base and trying to get his bat going. He has had a couple good games in a row.”

— Skip Schumaker, Rangers Manager

What’s next

The Rangers will continue to monitor Jung's performance in the ninth spot of the lineup and make adjustments as needed to try to spark the offense.

The takeaway

Schumaker is taking a flexible, day-to-day approach to setting his lineup as the Rangers look to get their offense on track early in the season. By experimenting with different lineup configurations, he's hoping to find the right combination to maximize production from the entire lineup.