Jurickson Profar came up to replace the suspended Rougned Odor for a week, and he did a good job. Okay, he did a really good job. Like, .364/.364/.636 slash line kind of good. He is doing so well that when the game starts tonight, he will be the designated hitter as opposed to the struggling Prince Fielder. Prince is really having a bad season not just by his standards, but by all standards, batting .187/.257/.288 with three home runs and 28 RBI. Last night in the game the Mariners pitched around Adrian Beltre to get to Prince Fielder. Yeah, that bad.
The Rangers, at least for now, have decided to keep Profar in the major leagues. According to Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star Telegram among others, Hanser Alberto has been optioned back to Round Rock and Profar will stay, for now. Profar has played really well in the field as well as at the plate, and I think, like other young Rangers this season, he has made a great case to be on this team. With Fielder and Mitch Moreland both struggling at the plate, the switch hitting Profar may offer some time for each of those two to rest and recover and maybe try and get their groove back.
I do not think that Jurickson Profar will stay the entire season with the Rangers unless a major injury happens to someone, but I do think that the Rangers have a problem, albeit a good problem. Too much young talent behind too much old money. Prince is being out hit by Profar, Shin-Soo Choo, even healthy, would be getting out hit and out played by Nomar Mazara, and the Rangers have more good young talent in the minors just waiting for their chance. If nothing else, the Rangers have an embarrassment of riches right now, and that is a great problem to have.
The Texas Rangers are going young, and Jurickson Profar, Rougned Odor, Elvis Andrus, Nomar Mazara, Martin Perez, Luke Jackson and other are either the future of this team or will be traded for the benefit of improving the team. Either way, it is going to be fun to watch Profar while it lasts.
