ARLINGTON, Texas – The Texas Rangers have shut down projected starting second baseman Jurickson Profar from throwing after three doctors confirmed he’s got instability in his right shoulder.
Profar, who has not played this season, visited with Rangers team physician Keith Meister, Dodgers team doctor Neal ElAttrache and renowned orthopedic surgery James Andrews.
When Profar returns is uncertain. Rangers’ GM Jon Daniels said that Profar will undergo a MRI exam at some point in the near future.
“It’s not like a cut-and-dry deal that any type of surgery solves the problem,” Daniels said Tuesday before the Rangers faced the Houston Astros. “Jurickson’s preference, and we support him in that, is to put all of his efforts into rehabbing the shoulder and looking to strengthen all of the muscles around the shoulder to stabilize it.”
Daniels said doctors haven’t broached the subject that this latest setback could be career-threatening, however, there isn’t any known position player to endure this type of problem.
Profar is on the 60-day DL because of surgery to repair a torn teres major muscle. He started a throwing program last month, and just before the Rangers left for a West Coast trip on Sept. 15 was throwing from 90 feet.
Now his status for 2015 in unclear, and it gives current starting second baseman Rougned Odor the upper hand as the starter for next season.
“I feel for him,” Daniels said of Profar. “More than anything, I’m frustrated from a club standpoint that we haven’t been able to get him to where he needs to be. That’s not a good feeling. But my bigger concern is having a 21-year old kid that has a bright future and a ton of talent, [that] it’s been a lost season. That’s not a good feeling."
Base hits: CF Leonys Martin is sitting out Tuesday’s game because of a bruised right shin suffered when he fouled a pitch off his leg late in Monday’s game. … OF Jim Adduci (concussion) has been cleared to play but most likely won’t play the field until the weekend. … 2B Guilder Rodriguez, who had his first big league hits of his career Monday night, was back in the lineup batting ninth and playing second.