The Rangers placed Carter on the 10-day injured list Sunday due to a right quadriceps strain.
The 22-year-old was scratched from the starting nine ahead of Saturday's 5-1 win over the Astros due to the injury and finds himself on the injured list a day later. According to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News, manager Bruce Bochy said Sunday that Carter is dealing with a Grade 2 strain and is expected to be sidelined for at least the next couple weeks. Sam Haggerty and Kevin Pillar are likely to see most of the playing time in center field while Carter is on the shelf.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Scratched from lineup Saturday
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Carter has been removed from the starting lineup for Saturday's game against Houston due to a quadriceps injury.
Carter was originally slated to start in center field, but he's since been replaced by Sam Haggerty. According to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com, Carter is dealing with right quad tightness, though manager Bruce Bochy called the outfielder's late scratch cautionary. Landry also reports that Carter was already slated to begin on the bench Sunday, and with the Rangers off Monday, that means Carter will get three total days of rest before potentially returning to action Tuesday versus the Yankees.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Elevates to leadoff
Rotowire
Carter batted leadoff and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Monday's 2-1 win over Colorado.
Carter moved up to leadoff because Josh Smith was unavailable due to back soreness. Carter swiped a base for the second consecutive game and is batting .240/.269/.360 in seven games since his return to the majors.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Poised for return to majors
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The Rangers will recall Carter from Triple-A Round Rock prior to Tuesday's game in Boston, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Carter failed to earn an Opening Day roster spot and got off to a sluggish start with Round Rock, but he had begun to heat up in his last 12 games, slashing .271/.327/.500 with two home runs and three stolen bases. With Leody Taveras on outright waivers and Josh Smith a better fit as a super-utility player, Carter should get an opportunity to be the Rangers' primary center fielder, at least against right-handed pitching. Texas is tentatively scheduled to face all righties this week.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Injures hand at Triple-A
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Carter was removed Tuesday in the eighth inning of Triple-A Round Rock's 16-3 loss to Oklahoma City after his hand was struck by a pitch on a bunt attempt, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
The Rangers haven't provided word whether Carter suffered a fracture or is merely dealing with bruising and/or soreness, but even a minor injury would likely be enough to take him out of consideration for a call-up if Wyatt Langford -- who exited Texas' 10-6 loss to the Cubs on Tuesday due to oblique tightness -- requires a stint on the injured list. Even before getting hurt, Carter hadn't gained much momentum in his bid to return to the big leagues; he's gotten off to a 2-for-22 start to the season at Triple-A, though his 7:7 K:BB over 29 plate appearances has been promising.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Leapfrogged by Taveras in CF?
Rotowire
Carter is absent from the lineup for a second straight day in Tuesday's exhibition contest against the Royals.
Teams traditionally use exhibition games in the final week as dress rehearsals for Opening Day, and it was Leody Taveras in center field Monday against righty Michael Wacha and Taveras again in center Tuesday versus lefty Kris Bubic. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy hasn't confirmed who his starting center fielder to open the season will be, but it's looking like Taveras will be the choice over Carter. Carter has hit just .154/.214/.205 with a 15:3 K:BB this spring after missing most of last season with back problems. If Carter does indeed lose out on the starting job, he'll likely begin the season at Triple-A Round Rock so he can play every day.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Back in lineup
Rotowire
Carter (illness) will start in center field and bat third in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Brewers.
Carter was scratched from Friday's lineup due to an illness, but his health seems to have improved ahead of Saturday's game. The 22-year-old is 1-for-7 with a double and two strikeouts across three games so far this spring.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Scratched from lineup with illness
Rotowire
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that Carter was scratched from Friday's lineup against the Cubs due to illness, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Carter has "got some crud," per Bochy, but is expected to be back in the lineup Saturday. Kevin Pillar will take his spot in the lineup Friday.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Hitless Saturday
Rotowire
Carter batted leadoff and went 0-for-3 in Saturday's spring game against San Francisco.
Carter is a spring project, not just because of the back injury that limited him to 162 plate appearances in 2024, but also due to struggles against lefties. His one opportunity Saturday ended with a strikeout; it was a three-pitch at-bat during which the hitter with a reputation for discipline swung at pitches off the plate. Carter is 3-for-37 against MLB southpaws the last two seasons. If he does manage to be a competent hitter, Carter could see time as a leadoff hitter. Texas manager Bruce Bochy has offered conflicting statements about Marcus Semien being the default leadoff batter in 2025, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Starting Saturday
Rotowire
Carter (back) will start in center field and bat leadoff in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Giants.
Carter has been private about the nature and severity of his back injury, and it's expected to be something the Rangers keep a close eye on throughout spring training and the regular season. He is apparently in good enough condition to take the field Saturday after sitting out Friday's contest, but regular rest days may be necessary, at least for the time being.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Cleared to swing bat
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Carter (back) has been swinging a bat and is expected to be 100 percent for the start of spring training, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Carter was limited to just 45 games this season due to a nagging back problem and underwent an ablation procedure in October to remove tissue from his back. The expectation is that he'll be without restrictions once spring training rolls around. The 22-year-old posted just a .633 OPS over 162 plate appearances in 2024 but should enter 2025 with a regular role for the Rangers.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Shifts to 60-day IL
Rotowire
The Rangers transferred Carter (back) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.
Carter has already missed more than two months after landing on the 10-day IL on May 28 with a lumbar sprain, so his move to the 60-day IL won't affect his timeline for a return to the big club. At this point, it's unclear whether Carter will even be able to play again in 2024, as he was shut down from baseball activities Friday and was scheduled to get a second opinion on his back injury from a doctor in California. The Rangers should provide an update on Carter's condition once his visit with the specialist is completed, but even if the outfielder is given the green light to resume baseball activities, he'll still likely need multiple weeks to ramp up before he would be ready for big-league action.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Begins swinging bat
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Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday that Carter (back) flew to Arizona last week and has begun swinging a bat, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
This marks the first time Carter has swung a bat since landing on the injured list in early June. Bochy indicated the plan calls for Carter to face live pitching in the next few days. The injury was first described as lower-back tightness but was then reclassified as a stress reaction, which prompted the lengthy rehab.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Out at least one month
Rotowire
Manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday that Carter (back) will be out for at least a month, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Carter was placed on the 10-day IL on May 28 with lower-back tightness. Bochy noted that the injury is worse than the Rangers initially thought and has since been reclassified as a stress reaction. Carter looks set to rest for at least a couple more weeks before he resumes baseball activities, and he'll likely need at least a handful of rehab games before being cleared to return from the 10-day injured list. Wyatt Langford has taken over as the Rangers' primary left fielder during Carter's absence, while Ezequiel Duran and Robbie Grossman could end up splitting most of the reps at designated hitter.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Dealing with back tightness
Rotowire
Carter was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with lower-back tightness, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
The 21-year-old missed some time in mid-May due to a back issue, and it apparently remains bothersome as the month comes to a close. Carter is without a hit in his past 20 at-bats, and the injury could help explain some of those struggles. It's unclear how long the young outfielder is expected to be sidelined, but the organization will likely want him to get some at-bats in the minors before he rejoins the big club.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Hitless in return
Rotowire
Carter started in left field and went 0-for-4 in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Angels.
Carter returned to the starting lineup for the first time since May 8 after dealing with lower-back soreness. He had served as a pinch hitter in each of the previous two games and played left field for the final six innings of Saturday's 13-inning win.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Not in lineup Saturday
Rotowire
Carter (back) is not in the starting lineup Saturday versus the Angels.
Carter will remain on the bench for another contest Saturday, though it may be a result of the team facing left-hander Patrick Sandoval and not his back injury. Manager Bruce Bochy said Friday that the outfielder would be available off the bench versus Los Angeles and Carter did end up appearing in the game, going 0-for-1. Carter will look to return to the lineup for Sunday's series finale, but in the meantime, Robbie Grossman will draw the start in left field and bat sixth Saturday.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Receiving cortisone shot
Rotowire
Carter's MRI revealed inflammation in his lower back, and he'll get a cortisone shot Tuesday, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.
He could be back in the lineup within a few days if all goes well following the cortisone injection, per Wilson. Carter's absence has allowed for Ezequiel Duran to find everyday work while moving around the diamond, and Robbie Grossman also recently picked up a start in left field.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Undergoing MRI on injured back
Rotowire
Carter will undergo an MRI on his back Monday, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.
Carter is out of the lineup for a fourth straight game Monday against the Guardians, with the last three absences due to a lower-back problem. The fact that the injury has necessitated an MRI points to a possible stint on the 10-day injured list, but more information on Carter's should be known once the results are in. Ezequiel Duran will start in left field for the Rangers on Monday.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Held out for third straight game
Rotowire
Carter (back) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies.
With lefty Austin Gomber starting for Colorado in Friday's 4-2 loss, Carter was held out of the starting nine, but he logged an at-bat off the bench as a pinch-hitter. He may have tweaked his back at some point during that appearance, however, as he'll remain on the bench for a third straight day. Robbie Grossman will fill in for the banged-up Carter in left field.
