Joc Pederson is headed to the 10-day IL with a fractured wrist, forcing the Rangers to finish their postseason push without a key power bat.

ARLINGTON – The Texas Rangers’ postseason push just got more complicated.

Texas has placed Joc Pederson on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left wrist, removing one of the club’s most dangerous left-handed bats from the lineup for the remainder of the regular season.

The move is retroactive to Sept. 19, but the timing effectively guarantees Pederson won’t return before the regular season ends. That leaves the Rangers trying to protect their place in the American League playoff race without a hitter who has supplied 26 home runs and 53 RBI this season.

MORE: Jaxson Dart Could Miss Rest Of Giants Season With Knee Injury

Pederson was hit on the wrist by a pitch against Arizona on Sept. 12 and had already missed several games before Texas finally made the IL move.

The loss hurts even more because Pederson had been producing some of his best baseball down the stretch. Since late June, he had posted an OPS near .900 while providing much-needed power against right-handed pitching.

Now manager Skip Schumaker has to reshuffle the lineup during the most important stretch of the season.

Texas enters the final week fighting Houston for the AL West, with virtually no margin for error. The Astros also own the head-to-head tiebreaker, making every remaining Rangers game even more significant.

Pederson’s absence changes the lineup’s balance.

Without him, the Rangers lose a proven middle-of-the-order left-handed threat who could protect hitters such as Corey Seager, Brandon Nimmo, Wyatt Langford and Jake Burger. It also gives opposing managers more flexibility late in games when deploying right-handed relievers.

Michael Helman was activated from the 60-day injured list to replace Pederson on the roster, but expecting him to duplicate Pederson’s offensive production would be unrealistic.

The bigger question now is whether Pederson could return if Texas reaches October.

MORE: Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase Lead Bengals Past Texans 20-6

That possibility hasn’t been completely ruled out. The Rangers have not announced that Pederson’s season is over, and his recovery timeline remains uncertain.

For now, though, Texas has to survive without him.

The Rangers still control their own postseason fate, but losing a 26-home run bat this late in September removes another layer of protection from a lineup that can’t afford many quiet nights.

If Texas reaches October, Pederson could still matter.

First, the Rangers have to get there.