Jurickson Profar singled and homered Sunday afternoon as he continues to prove a valuable replacement for Ian Kinsler. His dinger helped the Rangers beat the Royals 3-1.

Jurickson Profar trots after his Sunday home run, part of his great 2013 season. Photo: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

With the 2 for 3 day, Profar’s slash line stands at .324/.350/.514. He’s only 20, so like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, his upside potential is huge. He’s hitting well enough that it will be tough to send him when (and if) Ian Kinsler returns. Given Kinsler’s injury history and strong bat, the Rangers might be better off moving him to a less stressful defensive position. The Rangers, however, are getting good production from both first base and designated hitter. Profar played a lot of shortstop in the minors, so Texas could go with a great offensive infield and see if they could trade Elvis Andrus for a missing piece. It’s the kind of problem GM loves to solve.