Top Prospect Jurickson Profar to make season debut tonight with the Texas Rangers
Baseball is really a what have you done for me lately league. With Ian Kinsler being put on the 15 day Disabled List, retroactive to Saturday with a right intercostal strain, (strained ribs) top prospect Jurickson Profar has been called up.
If you remember right Profar was called up last season and promptly hit a home run in his first Major League at bat before only playing sparingly down the stretch. He will be splitting time with utility infielder Leury Garcia while Kinsler is out.
This is good news for Profar and the Rangers, as Profar is playing his best baseball of the season right now. Before being recalled on Sunday, Profar hit home runs, 3 and 4 in Saturday nights win for the Round Rock Express (AAA). The latter of the two being the game winner. The two home runs also extended his hitting streak to eight games.
His minor league numbers this season might not look very good right now, he has a .278 average, but over that hitting streak he has raised his average almost 60 points.
The Rangers are likely just playing it safe with Kinsler as they have for the other two starters currently on the Disabled List, C AJ Pierzynski and SP Alexi Ogando, who was supposed to be tonight starter.
Also being called up today is Profars teammate Josh Lindblom whom the Rangers acquired from the Phillies in the Michael Young trade. Lindblom was a middle reliever in the Phillies organization but the Rangers saw him as a starter from the time they acquired him and he has taken to the transition well. After a bad spring that likely cost him a role in the Rangers bullpen he seems to be pitching well of late. He has a 4-0 record with a 2.08 ERA for the Express holding AAA hitters to a .173 average.
He has not started a game this season without Profar playing behind him and maybe that comfort of having him out there tonight will help as the Rangers take on the Oakland A’s.
– Brian Boynton (@gingabeard_man)
Three Up, Three Down 