Rangers shorstop Elvis Andrus was scratched from the team's lineup on Tuesday due to tightness in his throwing elbow. He will be out for at least the next two games before being evaluated by a team doctor on Friday, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Elvis Andrus injury: What is the Rangers’ contingency plan?
Elvis Andrus will miss at least a couple of games with elbow tightness. If it turns out to be worse, the Rangers might turn to a pair of talented youngsters.
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The injury doesn’t seem serious as of right now, as Andrus himself was shocked that he was removed from the lineup and told Evan P. Grant of the Dallas Morning News that the injury is “nothing to worry about.” However, if Dr. Keith Meister finds anything that could keep Andrus out for a longer period of time, the Rangers would have a massive problem on their hands.
Or would they?
Andrus is a good defensive player, he’s only 25 years old, and the Rangers could certainly do worse than his career .339 on-base percentage at that position. However, this is a guy who has never had an above-average season offensively and was actually worse in the field in 2013 than he had been in any season since 2010, per FanGraphs’ UZR/150.
More from Lone Star Ball: Andrus to sit for next 2 days
Texas is also fortunate enough to possess another good young shortstop in Jurickson Profar, who the team plans to shift to second base in 2014. An extended absence from Andrus would allow Profar to move back to short, where his bat would play extremely well. Profar has hit only .231/.301/.403 in 341 big-league plate appearances, but unlike Andrus, he was a well-above-average hitter throughout his minor-league career. At only 21 years old, Profar is a fairly safe bet to continue improving with regular reps.
Profar vacating his spot at second under that scenario would open up a number of options for Texas, the most interesting of which is 20-year-old prospect Rougned Odor. Aside from having a terrific name, Odor enjoyed a great 2013 campaign in the minors, hitting .303/.362/.472 across two stops. He has under his belt only 30 games above A-ball, but appears primed for at least a cup of coffee in MLB this season. An injury to Andrus might expedite that process, but Odor certainly has the tools to be able to hold his own.
Of course, there is always the possibility of the Rangers looking at outside options in the event something is wrong with their starting shortstop, and the name at the top of that list would have to be Stephen Drew, who remains unsigned despite posting a 111 OPS+ for the Red Sox last season. Texas does not have an aversion to spending money, and if Andrus' condition turns into one of the long-term variety, Drew represents a great fit and would allow the Rangers to give Odor more minor-league seasoning.
All of this is likely for naught, but regardless, the Rangers should take comfort in the fact that they have the personnel and flexibility to withstand a long absence from their shortstop. That’s something not many other teams in baseball can claim.
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