Padres' Jurickson Profar Enjoyed Full Circle Moment vs Rangers

Major League Baseball announced the 2024 All-Star Game starters on Wednesday. San Diego Padres outfield Jurickson Profar learned he would make his All-Star debut while gearing up to play against the team that brought him into the league.

The Texas Rangers signed Profar out of Curacao. He came up with the Rangers and debuted for them when he was 19. The Midsummer Classic will coincidentally be played in Texas, across the street from the ballpark he debuted in.

Profar felt like the Rangers never really got a chance to see him at his best.

“I never really got a chance to really play here,” he said Wednesday night. “I got injured. I missed two years of baseball. I came back, and I didn’t play much. I had a really good season in 2018. But I got traded. I didn’t really have a chance to show all the fans here that were always rooting for me.”

On Thursday, the Ranger saw what kind of player he has become. He singled and scored a run, homered and threw out a runner at home to get the Padres on their way to a 3-1 victory over the Rangers.

Said Shildt: “He’s done a nice job on both sides of the ball for us.”