Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor’s suspension has been reduced by one game.
Odor, who punched Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista during a game on May 15, will be suspended seven games instead of the eight-game punishment the league originally handed out, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
Odor’s suspension means Texas will call 23-year-old Jurickson Profar back up to the major league roster, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
Before landing the right hook that shocked the baseball world, the 22-year-old Odor was having his best big league season to date. He was batting .286 to go along with seven home runs and became the Rangers’ go-to leadoff guy.
But since that punch to Bautista, Odor’s numbers have taken a hit; he’s batting .152 since May 16. Texas went 4-4 in that span. Odor filed an appeal with MLB, which allowed him to keep playing even after it announced his suspension.
While Bautista’s slide looked to be intentional, it was inevitable Odor would be suspended for throwing a punch, let alone connecting successfully.
Because of Odor’s struggles at the plate lately, this time off may help him to collect himself before rejoining the club. His suspension will begin on Friday. With Odor out, the Rangers have a good opportunity to see what Profar—their former top minor league player—can bring to the table.
Profar has not played for the Rangers since 2013 because of nagging shoulder injuries and sat out all of the 2015 season. He was slated to be the second baseman of the future when Texas sent Ian Kinsler to the Detroit Tigers for Prince Fielder, but that never came to fruition because of his injuries and the emergence of Odor.
Profar batted .284 and hit five homers in 41 games for Triple-A Round Rock this season. The Rangers could use that kind of production for the next week, especially at the top of the lineup.
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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