SURPRISE, Arizona — In a season where the Texas Rangers are expected to be evaluating talent for the future, the team’s top prospect will be a spectator at the beginning of the 2021 campaign.

Josh Jung, the first-round pick of 2019, is recovering from a March 22 surgery. Doctors placed a screw in his left foot to alleviate a stress fracture. This has sidelined the Texas Tech product for six to eight weeks.

“I mean there is always the options of rest or rehab,” said Jon Daniels, president of baseball operations. “But we felt, Josh felt, and more importantly the doctors felt, like the most likely outcome of rest would be circling back in six weeks and needing the surgery at that point. So I think this is one of those deals where you take care of it once and for all. He’ll be able to go full-go without any limitations after that.”

While it sounds bad, Daniels says there is a silver lining.

Because of the delayed start to the minor league season, “he won’t really miss a lot of time as far as the regular season but certainly he’ll miss some time in preparing for it,” Daniels said.

Once Jung has recovered, the Rangers will decide whether to send him to AAA team Round Rock or AA Frisco.

Fans shouldn’t be surprised if he is the daily starter at the hot corner by the end of the season.