ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers are going down a similar path to one they've taken with infielder Jurickson Profar before.
They are just hoping for better results this time.
Profar, who has missed the entire season with tear in his teres muscle in his right shoulder, will be shut down for approximately two or three months in an effort to rehab the shoulder in an effort to get it right again before the 2015 season.
The Rangers are doing it with no guarantees though.
"Bottom line is we've gone down a similar path before and definitely a level of frustration that we haven't been able to get better answers and to get him back to this point," Texas general manager Jon Daniels said. "This is based on everyone we've consulted with and Jurickson's feeling and preference that he can strengthen his shoulder on his own through a rehab process this is what we think is the best course of action right now."
Daniels said surgery isn't an option right now because there are no guarantees that surgery will fix the problem. Profar hurt the shoulder for the first time in 2010 diving back to a base. He aggravated it again in winter ball last year and was slowed in spring training and he's now been shut down three times in 2014 without ever playing in a game.
Profar consulted with Dr. James Andrews, team doctor Keith Meister and Los Angeles Dodgers doctor Neal ElAttrache. Profar was supposed to play in the Arizona Fall League but those plans have been scrapped.
Daniels said Profar won't start a throwing program again until he has a clean MRI and that could take two to three months. Daniels said it's too early to determine how this will impact Profar in 2015.
"That's getting way ahead of ourselves," Daniels said." I wouldn't even venture a guess. I want to get him healthy right now. If he's healthy and he's on the roster then he'll be in competition for a spot. That's probably two or three steps beyond where we are right now."
The rehab process now will focus on strengthening the area around Profar's shoulder. Daniels said Profar's shoulder is just naturally looser than most peoples. He believes Profar played through the initial problem in 2010. He said that the shoulder is fine until he gets to a certain distance throwing and then the instability in the shoulder leads to the injury.
While Daniels is hopeful rehab works it doesn't take the sting out of a lost season for a player who was the top prospect in baseball at one time and expected to be the everyday second baseman in 2014.
"Obviously, I'm frustrated from a club standpoint that we haven't been able to get him where he needs to be, that's not a good feeling," Daniels said. "But my bigger concern is having a 21-year old kid, who has a bright future, ton of talent, and it's been a lost season. That's not a good feeling."
