Ranger Second Baseman Jurickson Profar Out 10-12 Weeks with Torn Shoulder Muscle
The Texas Rangers are now scrambling to find a second baseman as they found out over the weekend that starter Jurickson Profar will miss the next 10-12 weeks with a torn muscle in his right shoulder. Profar felt the shoulder pain during Saturday's game against the Padres, and the injury might have occurred while he tried to turn a double play in the sixth inning. He showed up on Sunday feeling some soreness in the shoulder, so the Rangers sent him for an MRI exam, and the results showed a tear in the teres major muscle.
"We'll get somebody there to play," manager Ron Washington said. "We will have a second baseman. We've got guys in camp that can play there. In the meantime, I'm sure [general manager Jon Daniels] will be out there looking. We're OK. Believe me, we're OK. We'll miss Profar, but we'll move on and win some ballgames."
Josh Wilson, who was winning a job as the utility infielder, is the early leading candidate to replace Profar. Other infielders may come available in the final week of Spring Training as teams start cutting down their rosters. Texas traded long time utility player Ian Kinsler earlier in the off-season in hopes that Profar could fill the hole he left. The Rangers open their season vs. the Philadelphia Phillies on March 31st from the Ballpark in Arlington.