Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (quadriceps) was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to right quad tightness. According to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com, Carter is not going to play tomorrow, facing a lefty, and will have additional time to heal leading up to Tuesday's game against the New York Yankees. Carter was unable to make the Opening Day roster but was recalled to the majors earlier in May. Through his first 11 games of the regular season, the former top prospect has posted an underwhelming .182/.270/.273 slash line with one long ball. Under the hood, he has generated a low .308 xwOBA and a .227 xBA, which are both below the average marks. Given his slow start to the season, fantasy managers should only roster Carter in deeper AL-only formats.
Texas Rangers' young outfielder Evan Carter had a nice afternoon on Sunday, as he went 2-for-5 with one run scored, one RBI, and a stolen base. The stolen base was his first of the season, and something to keep an eye on as Carter swiped 26 bases in the MiLB in 2023, and six in his 21 games played in Triple-A in 2025. Since getting promoted to the MLB on May 6, Carter has slashed .273/.273/.409 in 22 plate appearances. This is encouraging for Carter and those who own him in dynasty formats, as his rookie campaign showed much promise in 2023, when he slashed .306/.413/.645 in 75 plate appearances. 2024 was a different story (.188/.272/.361), and he started 2025 in Triple-A. Carter will look to continue his nice seven-day stretch as the Rangers head home to take on the Colorado Rockies in a three-game series.
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager and outfielder Evan Carter are both out of Friday's series opener in Detroit against the Tigers and tough left-hander Tarik Skubal. Josh Smith is starting at shortstop and is hitting seventh, while Sam Haggerty is patrolling center field and batting leadoff. Fantasy managers should be on the lookout for more news on Seager, as he was also out in Thursday's series finale against the Boston Red Sox. This will be his second straight missed game. Smith is hitting over .300 on the year for Texas but is an easy DFS fade at the bottom of the lineup in a tough lefty-lefty matchup. Haggerty will be making his debut with the Rangers after going 1-for-15 in eight games for the Seattle Mariners in 2024. Even in the leadoff spot, he's not much to look at for DFS. Smith is 0-for-3 in his career against Skubal, while Haggerty is just 0-for-1.
Evan Carter Officially Recalled And Starting On Tuesday
The Texas Rangers officially recalled outfielder Evan Carter from Triple-A Round Rock, and he's starting in center field and batting seventh on Tuesday against Boston Red Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito at Fenway Park. Although Carter hit just .188 (27-for-144), dealt with injuries and played in only 45 games for the Rangers last year, he's worth looking at as a waiver-wire pickup right away in deeper mixed formats now that he's back in the big leagues. The Rangers recently cut Leody Taveras, so the 22-year-old Carter could end up being on the strong side of a platoon in center for Texas. Carter was cold at the plate early on at Round Rock, but he hit .271 with two home runs and three steals in his last 12 games to get the call back to the majors. He has a hit in just two career at-bats against Giolito.
The Texas Rangers are likely going to recall outfielder Evan Carter before Tuesday's series opener in Boston against the Red Sox, according to general manager Chris Young. It remains to be seen if Carter will be in the starting lineup at Fenway Park, but he has earned a promotion back to the big leagues for the first time in 2025 after heating up at the plate recently at Triple-A Round Rock. The 22-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder hit .221/.333/.416 with three home runs, nine RBI, six steals and 13 runs scored in 21 games at Round Rock. Although Carter hit just .188 (27-for-144) with 43 K's, five homers and 15 RBI in 45 games in 2024 and has dealt with injuries, he could get a shot as Texas' primary center fielder against right-handed pitchers moving forward after the team recently cut Leody Taveras. In just 23 regular-season games his rookie year, Carter hit .306/.413/.645 with five homers and 12 RBI.
Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter did not make the Opening Day roster and is being optioned to Triple-A Round Rock. Carter made his MLB debut during the 2023 campaign and played a critical role during their World Series run. Across his first 23 games in the majors, Carter posted a strong .306/.413/.645 slash line with four doubles and five home runs. During the postseason, he continued to produce as he held a strong .300/.417/.500 line. However, in 2024, Carter dealt with a lingering back injury, which eventually cut his season short after just 45 contests. During spring training, Carter struggled as he posted an underwhelming .154/.214/.205 slash line. Fantasy managers should expect Carter to compete for an early return to the big leagues, especially if he finds his footing at the top level of the minor leagues. In Texas, Leody Taveras will likely see most of the opportunities in center field to start the season.
Evan Carter, Leody Taveras Could Platoon In Center Field
Texas Rangers outfielders Evan Carter and Leody Taveras could start the year in a platoon in center field, according to MLB.com's Kennedi Landry. Neither player has hit lefties well, but Carter has really struggled, hitting .081/.150/.081 with three total hits against lefties in the big leagues since debuting late in the 2023 season. He has five strikeouts in seven at-bats against southpaws in spring training. The 22-year-old just hasn't had much exposure to high-leverage lefties in the big leagues in only 68 regular-season games played. He also played just 45 games in 2024 due to a back injury that the team is still managing. Carter expects to improve against lefties in time, but the Rangers might just continue avoid having him face them. Between recurring back issues and the fact that he won't play regularly, Carter's fantasy upside is limited in 2025.
Evan Carter Trending Toward Making Opening Day Roster
The Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant writes that outfielder Evan Grant's stock is trending up of late as it pertains to potentially making the Opening Day roster out of camp. Grant adds that Carter has eased concerns about tentativeness in his swing during minor-league and Cactus League games this spring. While Leody Taveras may be winning the competition for the center field job, it appears that the 22-year-old should make the Opening Day roster as outfield depth for Texas to begin the year. Carter debuted in the majors late in the 2023 season and looked like a seasoned veteran on the way to helping the Ranger win the World Series that fall. However, the former second-rounder was limited to 45 games in 2024 and eventually needed surgery for a stress reaction in his lower back. He's now merely attempting to bounce back, and because of his struggles against lefties, a best-case scenario (at least early on) is a platoon role for the young outfielder.
Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (illness) is back in the starting nine on Saturday afternoon. Carter was unable to play on Friday due to an illness. However, seeing him return to the lineup quickly suggests his absence on Friday was precautionary. Carter flashed high upside as a rookie during the 2023 campaign, posting a .309/.413/.645 slash line with five home runs and three stolen bases. During their World Series run, Carter held a .300/.417/.500 line. However, Carter was limited to just 45 games last season and was eventually shut down due to a back injury. During his limited playing time, he was ineffective as he posted a mere .188 AVG. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during camp as he should return to an everyday role in the Texas starting nine to begin the 2025 campaign.
Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (illness) has been scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Friday's contest against the Chicago Cubs. Rangers' manager Bruce Bochy said Carter is dealing with an illness, but he expects him to be back in the lineup on Saturday. Kevin Pillar will take over his spot in center field and bat eighth during Friday's game. Carter is looking to bounce back this season after a rough 2024 campaign. The potential is there, so we'll see if Carter can capitalize on the opportunity this time around.
Evan Carter
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