Jurickson Profar proving to be indispensable for rolling Rangers
Jurickson Profar was supposed to be a future star at shortstop or second base for the Texas Rangers, but since being called up late last month to fill the void created by Rougned Odor’s suspension for fighting, he has proven to be much more versatile than simply a middle infielder.
He’s suddenly resembling Jose Oquendo or Ben Zobrist with his ability to play wherever his manager might need him on a given day. He also has been an effective leadoff hitter and Texas is 10-3 since he joined the big-league club. 
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Profar figures to be in the Rangers’ lineup somewhere again Friday evening against the Seattle Mariners and you can watch it for free. It’s Yahoo Sports’ MLB Free Game of the Day. First pitch is at 10:10 p.m. ET, and you can stream the game for free on Yahoo’s Sports Home, MLB index and video home. Local blackouts apply, per MLB rules.
Profar is hitting .389 with two home runs and four RBIs in 54 at-bats. The Rangers have elected to keep him on the major-league roster to keep his bat in the lineup and they’re also moving him around the infield to make it work. He’s seen playing time at first base, second base, shortstop and third base and has also served as the designated hitter.
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The 23-year-old product of Curacao was the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball three years ago before injuring his right shoulder and undergoing shoulder surgery that kept him off the field the past two seasons. Now he’s putting together quite the comeback story since being called up.
It’s unlikely Profar will be used in the outfield any time soon because of the history with his shoulder, but he wouldn’t be proving anything more by also playing in the outfield. It’s already apparent Profar could be quite an asset for the Rangers in the coming years as long as he continues to hit.
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Kyle Ringo is a contributing writer to Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo
