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: Has ablation procedure on back
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Carter underwent an ablation procedure on his back last week, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
The procedure removed some tissue that had been affecting his recovery from a lower-back stress reaction that limited him to just 45 games this season. Carter has been cleared to begin a hitting progression, with the hope that he'll have a normal offseason and be 100 percent healthy by spring training.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Shifts to 60-day IL
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Dealing with stiff back
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Carter is sitting Saturday against the Rockies due to lower-back stiffness, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Carter has a history of lower-back issues, so the Rangers are acting cautiously, per Grant. Travis Jankowski is getting the start in left field and batting seventh.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Sitting versus southpaw
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Carter is absent from the lineup for Monday's game against the Athletics.
The A's are sending southpaw Alex Wood to the hill, so the left-handed hitting Carter will receive a day off. Ezequiel Duran is getting the start in left field Monday.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Starts against lefty
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Carter started in center field and went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Thursday's 6-0 win over Washington.
Carter got the rare start against a left-hander and produced his second hit in 16 at-bats against a southpaw. Texas manager Bruce Bochy has shied away from using Carter in these situations but gave him a shot Thursday with Leody Taveras getting the night off. Rangers general manager Chris Young explained to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com that at this point in his MLB career, Carter has not faced the quality of stuff that major-league lefties possess, suggesting the team is bringing the 21-year-old along slowly in that regard. "I think [Bochy] is doing a very good job of giving him his fair share of at-bats against lefties knowing that there's only one way to develop, and that's to go through it," the GM said. Young also noted Carter's advanced aptitude and is confident he'll eventually succeed against all pitchers.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Not facing lefty
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Carter is out of Tuesday's lineup against the Nationals.
Carter has now sat out each of the Rangers' last three games against left-handed pitching and seems to be falling into a platoon. Wyatt Langford will draw the start in left while Davis Wendzel will handle DH duties Tuesday.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Belts fourth homer Wednesday
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Carter went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional RBI and a triple in a 5-1 victory versus the Mariners on Wednesday.
Carter hit the second of back-to-back homers for Seattle in the fourth inning and added a run-scoring triple in the seventh. The long ball was his second in three games after he went deep just twice over his first 19 contests of the campaign. Carter's average sat below the Mendoza line as recently as April 20, but with two multi-hit games over his past three contests, it's now up to .215.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Gets day off Thursday
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Carter is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics.
Carter will head to the bench for the second time in 13 games this season, despite boosting his batting average to .189 with a 1-for-4 showing in Wednesday's 6-2 win. With Carter out of the lineup, the Rangers will roll out an outfield of Wyatt Langford, Leody Taveras and Adolis Garcia from left to right.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Collects first hits, finally
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Carter went 2-for-4 with a walk and a double in Friday's 10-2 win over Houston.
Carter ended a season-opening hitless streak with a second-inning double. He later singled in the fifth. The outfielder went 23 plate appearances before reaching base safely via a hit. He'd maintained relevancy, however, through a high on-base percentage thanks to his excellent plate discipline (six walks, five runs, a stolen base heading into Friday).
Carter is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.
Though Carter has drawn six walks while striking out just twice through five games while holding a share of the team lead with five runs, he's gone 0-for-15 to begin the season. He'll take a seat for the first time in 2024 amid the hitting slump, but the strong plate discipline he's demonstrated thus far bodes well for his outlook moving forward once some of his poor BABIP luck reverses.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Homers twice
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Carter started in left field and went 2-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI in Tuesday's spring game against Seattle.
Carter, who batted leadoff, took the third pitch of the game over the fence to give the Rangers an early lead. He followed up with a grand slam in the second frame. "You definitely don't want to let hittable pitches go by," Carter told Manny Randwaha of MLB.com. "So just being ready to go in a moment's notice right there." Carter's hit safely in five consecutive games and is batting .389 with a 1.178 OPS over 20 Cactus League plate appearances.
