ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jurickson Profar never thought he had the chance to show the Texas Rangers and their fans the player he thought he could be.
He's set to be an All-Star for the first time in the retractable roof stadium the Rangers opened two years after Profar was traded.
Profar was named a starting outfielder for the National League on Wednesday night in the middle of the Padres' three-game series at the home of his original team.
He'll be back for the All-Star Game at Globe Life Field on July 16.
It's been nearly 12 years since Profar made his major league debut for the Rangers as a 19-year-old who was among the top prospects in baseball.
Profar homered in his first big league at-bat at Cleveland on Sept. 2, 2012, but injuries derailed a promising career.
The native of Curacao was coming off his best season in 2018 when Texas sent him to the Oakland Athletics as part of a three-team trade.
A year later, the A's traded him to San Diego, and now he's on his second stint with the Padres and hitting .314, nearly 70 points higher than his career average.
His 11 homers give Profar a chance to reach his career best of 20 from back-to-back seasons — his final one with the Rangers and his only one with the A's in 2019.
“It's going to be very, very special, especially (since) I never really got a chance to really play here,” Profar said. “I got injured, missed two years of baseball. And then when I came back, I didn't play much.”
The trade came after he finally did have a season with at least 500 at-bats. He'd never had more than 286 before 2018. Still, there aren't any hard feelings toward the franchise that signed Profar when he was 16.
“I have a really, really good relationship with a lot of people there, from coaching staff, clubhouse guys that always loved me,” said Profar, now a bearded 31-year-old playing on a $1 million, one-year deal.
Profar was a shortstop when he was a top prospect for the Rangers but ended up as a utilityman, in part because of the shoulder issues that were part of his injury history.
He played second base for Oakland but has been mostly an outfielder — and usually in left — with the Padres, where he has had his most consistent years.
The formative years will be on Profar's mind in mid-July.
“I don't know the right word for it, but it's got to be special for him,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “You make the All-Star team, which clearly this guy is as deserving as anybody in the league. For it to come back to being a place that I know was special to him here in Texas, I know it means a lot to him.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
San Diego Padres' Jurickson Profar celebrates after hitting a grand slam during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres' Jurickson Profar follows through on a single against the Texas Rangers in the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 3, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
LONDON (AP) — When Ben Shelton was growing up, he didn't necessarily want to hear a lot about his father's professional tennis career. And, actually, Dad didn't necessarily want to chat much about it.
Ben, though, knows what Bryan did all of those decades ago — and now they share something in common: a trip to the fourth round at Wimbledon.
The younger Shelton made it that far at the All England Club for the first time in only his second appearance, getting past another big-serving left-hander who has been a Grand Slam semifinalist, Denis Shapovalov, by a score of 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 on Saturday. The elder Shelton was among the last 16 men in the Wimbledon bracket in 1994.
Ben's tennis coach at the University of Florida was Bryan, who left that job a little more than a year ago to work with his kid. So Bryan was sitting in the stands at No. 1 Court, offering tips and encouragement.
When the match ended, Ben shouted over, “We're back, Big Dog!”
“He’s not really a guy who likes to talk about himself. So he didn’t really volunteer that information (about his career) when I was younger. And I was playing other sports and could care less about tennis and his playing days when I was younger. That’s not something we really talked about,” said Ben, a semifinalist at last year's U.S. Open. “But within the last couple of years, when I came out here on tour, it’s more like advice, given the experience that he had, rather than him just story-telling.”
Smacking serves at up to 140 mph (225 kph), tied for the fastest by anyone in the tournament so far, he pulled out his third consecutive five-setter. The 14th-seeded Shelton is the first man to do that at Wimbledon since Ernests Gulbis; no one ever has won four matches in a row in five sets at any major event in the Open era, which began in 1968.
“So proud of what Ben is doing here at this very special place. Advancing to the 4th round 30 years ago was my greatest accomplishment, so not surprised Ben has already matched that. He is in a hurry to surpass me in all areas,” Bryan wrote in a text message to the AP. “Seriously, the way he is battling through these 5-setters is really the part we admire most. To see him smiling on court and having fun on this stage is what you hope for. Love to see him express his talents and his personality.”
Shelton, 21, insisted he's not tired heading into what amounts to a tough task on Sunday, when he faces No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Sinner won his third-rounder Friday night; Shelton and Shapovalov only completed five games that day before rain led to a suspension of play and a resumption Saturday.
“I didn’t see much fatigue on his end. He looked good,” said Shapovalov, who reached the final four at Wimbledon in 2021.
There already have been 33 five-setters at Wimbledon, a record through three rounds at a major tournament.
Shapovalov chalked that up to there being talent spread around the tour and few grass-court experts. Shelton said he loves that matches can go that long.
“There’s a lot of things I appreciate about five sets. The amount of time you are out there on the court, it’s a physical test. You have to be ready to go the distance and you have to be fit and in shape,” he said. “There’s also a lot of time for guys to make adjustments, so you can’t just really blow a guy off the court in one way. Most of the time you have to be able to figure things out and make your own adjustments when the guy makes changes and starts figuring it out.”
There will be those sorts of challenges against Sinner.
But Shelton, with an ability to deliver various types of serves, including a hard-to-handle kick version, presents difficulties, too.
“I'm happy with where I've gotten so far,” he said, “but definitely not satisfied.”
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Denis Shapovalov of Canada plays a forehand return to Ben Shelton United States during their third round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Bryan Shelton, left, father Ben Shelton of the United States leaves the stands following his son's third round match against Denis Shapovalov of Canada at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Roger Federer, right, sits with his parents , Robert and Lynette as they watch a third round match between Denis Shapovalov of Canada and Ben Shelton of the United States at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Ben Shelton of the United States plays a backhand return to Denis Shapovalov of Canada during their third round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Ben Shelton of the United States reacts after winning a point against Denis Shapovalov of Canada during their third round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
