This season wasn’t the first time opportunity fell into a reserve player’s lap, and that player seized it and turned it into the best of his MLB career.
But that wasn’t how Jurickson Profar was supposed to prove that he is an everyday major-league player. He was supposed to seamlessly slide into the Texas Rangers’ lineup in 2014, a year removed from being baseball’s top prospect.
Of course, that’s not how it worked out. A shoulder injury opened the door for Rougned Odor in 2014 and 2015, and Profar was blocked at every position he played entering this season.