Texas Rangers announce Jurickson Profar out up to three months

The Texas Rangers were banking on young infielder Jurickson Profar, so much so that they traded All-Star Ian Kinsler. Sunday the team announced that their budding star will miss up to three months after tearing a muscle in his right shoulder.

The 21-year old Profar has been laying in wait  as one of the Rangers’ top prospects for the past four seasons, but has been unable to break through at the Major League level while Kinsler was manning the midfield.

The Rangers traded Kinsler (in what ended up being an ugly war of words following the deal) to the Detroit Tigers in November, getting the big-slugging Prince Fielder. Now the Rangers will have to spit-and-bandage their middle infield.

The market for middle-infielders is tough right now, with several teams who look to contend in 2014–including the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves–looking to add depth or even starters to their lineup.

Much of what the Rangers do in this situation will be dictated by how long Profar will have to remain on the pine. If it carriers past the All-Star break, Texas will need more than just an internal solution to get them to the postseason.

The Profar injury is added to the list of ace Yu Darvish’s back injury, and No. 2 starter Derek Holland, who will be out until midseason following a knee injury suffered in January

Kinsler’s curse at work? Nope. Just the joys of spring training.

[Source: USAToday Sports]