Profar Making Impact in Audition

When Ian Kinsler was placed on the disabled list last week, it was not even a question who the Texas Rangers would call up to replace their second baseman.

The Rangers' Jurickson Profar just happens to be baseball's top prospect and it just so happens he plays second base and shortstop, meaning he was the easy call to put in Arlington for the time being and fill in for Kinsler, which he's done in all but one game since Kinsler's been shelved with a strained intercostal muscle.

Profar became the youngest MLB player since 1958 to lead a game off with a home run on Sunday when he was slotted as the Rangers' leadoff man at shortstop as Elvis Andrus got the day off, but that was his only hit of the day in a 1-for-6 effort.

But in every game Profar's played, he's made a positive impact both at the plate and in the field with some dazzling plays such as his stretch at first base the other night to complete a double play whie covering first base on a bunt.

In his 2013 debut on Monday, Profar was 0-for-2 in the No. 9 spot but drove in both of the Rangers' runs that night on a sac fly and a groundout. Since then, he's had at least one hit in each of his games with an RBI in each of his past two games.

What's this all mean? Probably nothing as it's a virtual guarantee that Profar will be sent back down to Triple-A Round Rock when Kinsler returns from the disabled list, presumably next week, as he won't be starting ahead of Kinsler or Andrus and isn't a candidate to be a utility bench guy as the Rangers rightfully want him to be an everyday player at his young age. But in his brief stint in the big, so far anyway, he's showing why he's the top prospect in baseball.

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