Rangers’ Elvis Andrus fractures elbow

Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus suffered a fractured elbow after being hit by a pitch Wednesday night, as reported by Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. He’ll undergo more tests Thursday before a timetable is set for his return.

Andrus, who turns 30 in August, is slashing .327/.426/.500 with two homers in 14 games for the Rangers, who have gotten off to a dreadful 4-10 start. It stands to reason that he’ll miss significant time with the break, causing Texas to lose one of its most productive players for a good chunk of a season in which they aren’t expected to contend.

Andrus, who signed an eight-year, $120 million extension with Texas, can opt out of the four years and $58 million remaining on the contract after this season. His 2018 campaign was likely to be a major factor in that decision after a strong 2017, so any time on the shelf will only complicate matters in regard to his future.

With Andrus out, the Rangers will likely use Jurickson Profar in a more prominent role, with Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Drew Robinson as other candidates to see time at short. Profar, who was projected to be a shortstop while touted as a top prospect a few years back, has appeared at five positions for the Rangers over the last two seasons.