SURPRISE, Ariz. _ Even Jurickson Profar admits that he has been on the Texas Rangers scene for what feels like most of a decade.
Well, he has.
Signed as a non-drafted international free agent in 2011 from Curacao, Profar became the game's top prospect only two years later. He was the Rangers' second baseman of the future. A future All-Star.
All at the age of 19.
That was five years ago, and Profar is no longer a prospect and no longer has a middle-infield job being kept warm for him. All-Star? Heck, he doesn't have a big league season with 400 at-bats.
But it's coming.
Just ask Profar, who turns 24 on Monday.
That's right: He's only 24.
"Those things are coming," Profar said. "I work very hard every day, and I'm doing great. Even though I haven't played a lot, I've played enough to know the things around the big leagues."
Profar was going to be the Rangers' second baseman in 2014 after the offseason trade of Ian Kinsler created an infield void. Profar's shoulder, though, didn't cooperate.
He missed all of 2014. In the process, Rougned Odor rose from Double-A Frisco to put his stranglehold on the job. The same injury struck in 2015, and Profar had season-ending surgery early in spring training.
He finally made it back to the major leagues last season, when Odor was sat down by Major League Baseball for his punch to Jose Bautista's jaw. Profar took advantage, collecting a hit each of the seven games Odor was out and then sticking in the lineup after the suspension was served.
Profar hit in six more consecutive games, lifting his season-opening streak to a career-high 13 games. He was a .323 hitter at the All-Star break, but then the bottom fell out.
He batted only .166 the rest of the way as the league's pitchers and some fatigue after not playing for two seasons caught up to him.
Part of Profar's offseason program was designed to build enough stamina to survive 162 games. And Profar's goal, now that being an everyday middle infielder is dashed, is to be an everyday player.
As versatile has he has become, a switch-hitter who is able to play all four infield positions and left field, it isn't unreasonable to foresee 400-500 at-bats this season depending on how aggressively manager Jeff Banister gives regulars days off their feet as the designated hitter.
"There's nothing unreasonable about that," Banister said. "In today's game, a guy that can do this (move around as needed), like Jurickson, in my opinion is invaluable."
While a favorite for the Opening Day roster, Profar still needs to win a spot and admits that he must be better than his .187 career average as a right-handed hitter. He will miss some of camp while playing for the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, but he's likely to get as many reps there as he would in Rangers camp.
There's a slight possibility that Profar could open a second straight season at Triple A Round Rock, but with only three years of club control left, the Rangers might not want to waste any time with the minor leagues.
The Rangers continue to believe that Profar can realize the potential that made him the No. 1 prospect in the game. He's the same player with the same set of intangibles and, slowly but surely, more experience.
"I really believe that had he not gotten hurt _ it would have affected a lot of things _ but he'd be well-established by now as an everyday guy," general manager Jon Daniels said. "All the things that not just us, but the industry, saw in him _ the hitting, the great approach at the plate, the internal clock in the field _ he still has all of those things. It's just he got set back by the injury."
Profar's confidence hasn't been shaken by the detour his career path took. He knows he can play in the majors and play well, and he insists that he has been improving each year since 2013 _ even as he dealt with shoulder injuries.
And, though he turns a year older Monday, he's still only 24.
"I worked hard those two years that I missed," Profar said. "I feel like I didn't miss a lot of things besides the games, just playing. If I didn't work those two years, right now, I don't know how I'd be feeling.
"I'm feeling great. I feel ready. I feel big things coming. ... Very big."
