The final Jeopardy question for today is Texas Rangers Opening Day 2nd baseman. If you answered who is Jurickson Profar you would be incorrect. It was announced before the Rangers game against the Padres yesterday that Profar suffered a tear in his shoulder and will be out for 10-12 weeks. With the season only a week away that leaves the Rangers searching for who will man the position come next Monday. There are several in house candidates, but there is also the possibility the Rangers reach out to someone that will be released this week and insert them into the lineup. For purposes of this article lets take a look at the in house candidates.

First off you have Adam Rosales. Rosales has been in competition for the middle infield spot all spring and still remains on the major league roster. He has played all over the infield and has previous major league experience. The downside of Adam Rosales is that he has never appeared in more than 87 games in a major league season and he is not that strong of an offensive player. He also has had a pretty terrible camp so far. He is hitting .111 with 13 k’s, and only 4 hits. I think he would be more suited for the utility spot in that he wouldn’t be playing everyday and he wouldn’t be overexposed.

Next is Josh Wilson. Wilson is another player who was brought in to compete for the utility infield spot and was thought to be in the lead for that role before this happened. Wilson has played in the majors for the Marlins, Mariners, and Diamondbacks. He does have experience and has shown to be a decent hitter this Spring. This Spring he is hitting .261, has a .320 OBP, and has 12 hits. Having seen him play I think he would certainly embrace the challenge and be able to provide the Rangers with stability at that position.

The next player on the list is Rougned Odor. Odor is rated as the number 4 prospect in the Rangers organization by MLB.com and is just 20 years old. He does play 2nd base and is thought to be their future second baseman. The Rangers could bring him up and see what he has. He has been in the major league camp for the Rangers and has played in 10 and going 5-17. He is still very young though and hasn’t played above Double-A Frisco. With Odor there is the fear that he could be overwhelmed and not have success which would hinder his development long-term. They have to be thinking long-term with this guy, so I don’t see him getting the start at least at the start of the season. If he goes down to Frisco or Round Rock and hits well then maybe in May he could be brought up to solidify that position until Profar comes back.

Those are the three leading in house candidates. My pick for the starting second baseman would actually be probably Josh Wilson, but they could also give it to someone that they bring in. Still a few days left in camp, but with as many injuries as the Rangers have suffered it cannot end soon enough.

Countdown to Opening Day: 7 days