Profar working in outfield, but not ready to play there

NEW YORK -- Rangers infielder Jurickson Profar put in 30 more minutes of outfield work with third-base coach Gary Pettis early Wednesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Profar is progressing but the Rangers aren't ready to put him in the outfield, and the situation on Wednesday was a reminder of why the Rangers are actively searching for a right-handed bat.

"Gary said he's progressing but he's not ready to go out there and run down the baseball," Washington said. "We're going on Gary's timetable."

Wednesday would have been a good day for Profar to be ready. The Rangers went up against left-hander Andy Pettitte, who went into the game holding left-handed hitters to a .141 batting average. Among starting pitchers, that was the second-lowest average in the league.

Profar is a switch-hitter and the Rangers could have used another right-handed outfield bat in the lineup. Instead, two of their three outfielders -- David Murphy and the red-hot Leonys Martin -- are left-handed hitters.

Murphy entered the game hitting .233 off left-handers, although he was 4-for-11 off Pettitte in his career. Martin, who was riding a 10-game hitting streak, entered Wednesday hitting .226 off left-handers. He had never faced Pettitte before this.

Craig Gentry gives the Rangers another right-handed bat for the outfield, but he is on the disabled list with a fractured left hand. To replace him, the Rangers called up Engel Beltre from Triple-A Round Rock. Beltre is another left-handed hitter who has yet to make his Major League debut.