This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry’s Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ARLINGTON -- If you ask Josh Jung, doctors should stop giving him timelines. He’s just going to try to beat them.

For the second year in a row, the Rangers’ third baseman had an untimely injury interrupt his season. And, for the second year in a row, he beat the clock. Jung underwent successful surgery on his fractured left thumb on Aug. 9. He sustained the injury while knocking down a 109.4 mph line drive with his glove hand to start a double play on Aug. 6.

He returned on Monday, a week before doctors expected, ready for the final 13 games of the season and the Rangers' attempt to make the postseason for the first time since 2016.

“My goal was to be ready today, regardless of anything,” Jung said. “It was just kind of how I felt today. I mean, there's no such thing as more ready than I felt today, so I might as well go ahead and go. … My main objective is just to bring the juice and uplift the guys and I think that'll help me stay out of my own way, if that makes sense.”

Jung was joined by fellow All-Star Adolis García, who was also activated off the 10-day IL. The outfielder had been out since Sept. 8 with a right patellar tendon sprain. His knee was immediately tested by the first batter back when he sprinted from his spot in right field to the foul line near the wall for the first out.

Now he just needs to recalibrate his timing at the plate to get back to where he needs to be in order to help the team.

“It went really well,” García said through interpreter Will Nadal. “I was kind of a little bit scared and apprehensive when that ball was going over there. But it felt good to make the catch. And I feel good. …I know that I can do that [help the team win]. But it's something that shouldn't be at the forefront of my mind when I'm playing. I’m really just doing the little things preparing, being focused out there and trying to help the team win in any way that I can.”

In their return to the lineup against the Red Sox in Monday’s 4-2 loss, Jung was 1-for-3 with a single and García went 0-for-3 with a walk. On Tuesday, Jung was 1-for-5 with an RBI single and García was 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk.

“Josh has come back to us sooner than we thought and same with Adolis,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “We didn't know if he would be able to play again. We thought he might be missing the rest of the season at one point. So both worked hard to get back in the game. That's a credit to them and how hard they work to get ready to play the last couple of days."

The Rangers are certainly hoping that getting two additional All-Stars back from the IL will propel them for the final stretch of the season.

After outscoring the Blue Jays, 35-9, across the four-game sweep in Toronto last week, the Rangers have since flipped the script in a bad way. During the ensuing four-game losing streak, Texas has been outscored, 27-8, by Cleveland and Boston before snapping the skid on Tuesday night.

“I think it’s fair to say we’ve got some guys not locked in, that’s just being honest,” Bochy said. “It’s not quite the at-bats that we’re used to getting. It's a case of good pitching, too, but at the same time, we're a really good hitting ballclub and we're not clicking. We were missing a couple of guys [Jung and García] that were back in there. The rest of the way, we’re going to have to find a way to get this offense clicking a little better.”