Pederson Leaves Rangers Win After Suffering Left Hand Injury

The Texas Rangers will await further testing before determining the severity of Joc Pederson’s latest hand injury.

Pederson exited Saturday’s 6-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks after being hit by a pitch from Brandon Pfaadt in the fifth inning. The Rangers designated hitter was struck by a 93.3-mph four-seam fastball and remained in the game long enough to reach first base.

Pederson met with manager Skip Schumaker and head athletic trainer Matt Lucero before ultimately continuing on the bases. However, the Rangers later removed him from the lineup when his spot came up again.

Justin Foscue replaced Pederson as a pinch-hitter against Pfaadt, keeping the Rangers from making a change based simply on the opposing pitcher. Foscue and Pederson have shared the designated hitter role for much of the season, making Pederson's availability particularly important as Texas approaches the final stretch of the regular season.

The initial medical update provided some encouragement. Schumaker said Pederson’s X-rays were negative, meaning there was no immediate evidence of a fracture. That does not necessarily rule out a significant injury, however, and Pederson is expected to receive additional scans from a hand specialist in the coming days.

For Texas, the timing is notable given Pederson’s importance to the middle of its lineup.

The veteran slugger entered Saturday having hit 26 home runs this season, tied with Jake Burger for the team lead. His total also ranks among the American League’s top 10, giving the Rangers a major source of power in their lineup.

Losing that production for any extended period would force Texas to adjust its designated hitter rotation and potentially redistribute at-bats among its available position players.

There is also reason for the Rangers to be particularly cautious with this injury because Pederson dealt with a similar problem last season.

During his first season with Texas in 2025, Pederson missed time after suffering a fracture in his right hand when he was hit by a pitch. Saturday’s injury occurred to his left hand, but the previous issue makes the latest development something the Rangers will want to monitor closely.

For now, the negative X-rays provide a positive initial sign, but the Rangers will have a clearer picture once Pederson undergoes the additional examination.

Texas will likely avoid making any assumptions about his availability until those results are known. With Pederson providing one of the club’s biggest power bats, his status could become an important storyline for the Rangers over the next several days.