Profar plays in first game since 2013
ARLINGTON -- Infielder Jurickson Profar is back on the baseball field.
Profar has been assigned to Class A Hickory on a rehab assignment and went 1-for-4 with a single in his first game, on Thursday night, the first time he has played in a game since Sept. 27, 2013. He has missed two years with a torn muscle in his right shoulder, an injury that was surgically repaired in February.
"I felt good," Profar told Mark Parker of the Hickory Daily Record. "It's been a while, but it felt the same. The first couple of at-bats, my timing was a little bit off, but by the third at-bat, I got it. So it felt good to be back playing and doing what I love.
"I just work out every day. I just believe in myself, and when I'm ready, it's going to be the same or even better. It wasn't that hard, because every day I go with a positive mind. Every day is a day closer to be playing. Now I'm here and back to playing."
Profar is on a throwing program but will be limited to designated hitter duty while at Hickory. The Rangers are monitoring his progress and will decide the next step after the Minor League season is over. Profar could continue to get at-bats in the instructional league or play winter ball in the Caribbean.
Profar was the Rangers' top Minor League prospect before being derailed by the shoulder injury. He played in 94 games for Texas in 2012-13 and hit .231 with seven home runs, 28 RBIs and a .343 slugging percentage.
Hamilton progresses to BP: Outfielder Josh Hamilton has progressed to the batting-practice stage of his rehab program as he moves closer to the first day he can come off the disabled list.
Hamilton has been sidelined since Aug. 16 with a sore left knee and is eligible to be activated on Monday, though the Rangers may wait until Tuesday, when the rosters are expanded to up to 40 players.
"We'll see how he feels," manager Jeff Banister said. "I think he is feeling better. The more energy he has, the workload, it tells me he's doing much better."
Even if Hamilton is activated on Tuesday, it's unlikely that he'll be ready to resume an everyday role.
"I don't think [the knee] will be 100 percent ready to go," Banister said. "It will still be a day-to-day thing. Some days will be better than others. We're willing to take what we can. This is a guy that can be a game-changer."
Worth noting
• Rougned Odor, who has been sidelined with a ripped fingernail on the middle finger of his right hand, played catch on Friday and might be able to return to the lineup as early as Saturday.
• Yovani Gallardo has a 1.98 ERA in August. He had a 0.54 ERA in June and is on track to be the seventh Rangers pitcher with multiple monthly ERAs under 2.00. He will also be the first to do it in 23 years, the last being Nolan Ryan in 1992. Gallardo is also the first Rangers starter to have eight scoreless outings in a single season.
• Catcher Carlos Corporan went 1-for-2 in a start for Double-A Frisco on Thursday night. Corporan has been sidelined since July 13 with a bruised left thumb, and this was his first start at catcher during the rehab assignment. He caught five innings, and the Rangers are hoping he can be activated on Tuesday.