Rangers second baseman Jurickson Profar is finally cleared to play defense after missing time with a shoulder injury, but now shortstop Elvis Andrus has been shut down with elbow problems for the second time this month.
Andrus will take at least a few games off and Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star Telegram reports that he’ll be examined Friday by team doctors. For now Andrus insists it’s a minor injury, but the Rangers are obviously a little more worried about it.
If it proves to be a significant injury the Rangers could shift Profar to shortstop--which is where he played while coming up through the minors as an elite prospect--but there’s no obvious in-house option to take over at second base unless they really want to rush 20-year-old top prospect Rougned Odor to the big leagues.
Another option could be making a late run at unsigned free agent shortstop Stephen Drew, but it’s probably not worth speculating about that too much until there’s an official word on Andrus’ status. Texas traded longtime second baseman Ian Kinsler to Detroit in the Prince Fielder deal in large part because Andrus is signed long term and Profar was waiting in the wings.
