Profar wants to play winter ball

ARLINGTON -- Rangers infielder Jurickson Profar, who has been sidelined the entire season with a torn muscle in his right shoulder, has just resumed a throwing program but he is already looking forward to winter ball.

He just doesn't know if it will be the Arizona Fall League, the Dominican Winter League or somewhere else.

"I want to play somewhere this winter," Profar said. "Just to do something this year, you can't just sit out without playing baseball the whole year. I have to play somewhere."

Profar was supposed to be the Rangers' starting second baseman this season after Ian Kinsler was traded to Detroit. But he showed up in Spring Training with tendinitis in his shoulder and ended camp with a torn muscle in the shoulder. Any hope of Profar returning this season ended when he re-injured the shoulder at the end of May.

Rookie Rougned Odor, who is playing regularly at second base, went into Thursday's game against the Rays hitting .258 in 75 games.

"He's a good player and I enjoy watching him play," Profar said of Odor. "I don't worry about those things. It's competition and I love it. Hard to watch everything; yes, obviously you want to be on the field around your team.

"At the same time you're using it to get stronger and everything, my mindset. It's hard to be a year without playing baseball, but at the same time it's about getting your mind strong you want to be a stronger person."