Evan Carter Swinging A Bat, Expected To Be Ready For Spring Training
Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (back) has resumed swinging a bat this offseason, according to the team, and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in mid-February without restrictions. It's excellent news for Carter, who was limited to only 45 games in 2024 due to back issues. The 22-year-old youngster eventually needed an ablation procedure in October to remove tissue from his back, but apparently he's recovered nicely and should be ready for Opening Day in 2025, barring a setback. The former second-round pick in 2020 burst onto the scene in 2023 and hit .306 (19-for-62) with five homers and 12 RBI in 23 regular-season games and was a lineup mainstay during the club's World Series run that fall. He went 27-for-144 (.188) with five homers and 15 RBI in 45 games in 2024 before being shut down. Carter is going to need to improve against lefties in 2025 to keep a regular role.
Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (back) underwent an ablation procedure on his back last week and has started a hitting progression. Carter managed to play in only 45 games in 2024 due to a lower-back stress reaction. The Rangers are hoping that his recent procedure will clear the way for the 22-year-old to put his back injury in the rearview mirror as he prepares for spring training early in 2025. If healthy next year, the former second-round selection in 2020 should have a big role in the Rangers' outfield, at least on the strong side of a platoon against right-handed pitching. In his 45 games (162 trips to the plate) this year, he slashed a weak .188/.272/.361 with five home runs, 15 RBI and 23 runs scored. However, with better health, could bounce back nicely and become a nice late-round value pick in fantasy drafts. We'll continue to keep an eye on his progress this offseason.
Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (back) could miss the rest of the regular season, according to general manager Chris Young. Things have been pointing in this direction for Carter, and he was recently moved from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL, meaning that he won't be able to return until at least September. There may not be much to play for for the defending World Series champions by then. The 21-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder has been on the shelf since late May with a lumbar sprain in his back and he recently had a setback, prompting the team to shut him down from baseball activities. Carter's extended absence late into the second half of the season should assure Leody Taveras of regular playing time to close out the year. Before getting hurt, Carter was disappointing with a .188/.272/.361 slash line with five homers in 144 at-bats in just his second year in the big leagues.
In a flurry of roster moves on Monday, the Texas Rangers transferred outfielder Evan Carter (back) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. It has been a lost season for Carter, who has been on the shelf since May 28 with a lumbar sprain. The 21-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder was shut down from baseball activities last Friday and is getting a second opinion on his troublesome back injury. Depending on what doctors say, there's a chance Carter won't return to the Rangers the rest of the season. The former second-rounder in 2020 made his big-league debut in 2023 and hit an impressive .306/.413/.645 with a 1.058 OPS, five homers and 12 RBI in 23 regular-season games before helping the Rangers win their first-ever World Series title. However, he went just .27-for-144 (.188) this year before his back woes cropped up, and his fantasy value has taken a nose dive in 2024. Carter is going to need to improve against lefties to secure regular starts whenever he returns.
Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said before Friday's game against the hosting Toronto Blue Jays that outfielder Evan Carter (back) is seeing a back specialist in California for a second opinion. He's effectively shut down from all baseball activities until the Rangers get a report back to reassess Carter's condition and map out the next steps for his recovery. "He's just not quite coming along like we were hoping," Bochy said. Carter had rejoined the club around the All-Star break and ramped up activities, but his return timeline goes totally up in the air with this development. It's worth noting he missed time in the minor leagues with a stress fracture in his back in 2021, so Texas has been cautious with him. The 21-year-old top prospect is starting to lose steam as a stash candidate in redraft fantasy leagues. Veteran switch-hitter Robbie Grossman is batting .341 (15-for-44) with three home runs, six RBI, and 11 runs scored in his last 17 games.
Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (back) has ramped up again after rejoining the big-league club around the All-Star break. Carter shagged fly balls on the field on Sunday and is scheduled to take batting practice on the field prior to Tuesday's game against the visiting Chicago White Sox. The 21-year-old top prospect is working his way back from an extended absence due to lower-back soreness, and while he's unlikely return to the Rangers before the end of July, he could get back into game action in the form of a minor-league rehab assignment within the next week or so if all goes well. Although Carter has been one of fantasy's biggest busts this year, batting 27-for-144 (.188) with five home runs, 15 RBI, 23 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 45 outings before getting injured, he still has five-category upside and an everyday role in left field to warrant being stashed in all leagues.
Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (back) has begun to swing a bat, per Texas skipper Bruce Bochy. Carter was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 28 with lower back tightness. Bochy also expressed that the 21-year-old should be expected to face live pitching in the coming days. This injury could have been bothering Carter much longer than fantasy managers could have expected as he struggled through the early part of the season. He held a poor .188/.272/.361 line with five home runs in 45 games. Carter will likely need a lengthy rehab assessment due to how long he has been sidelined. However, when he returns to big league action he should time primarily in left field, which could shift rookie Wyatt Langford to a designated hitter role.
Texas Rangers rookie outfielder Evan Carter (back) has been placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday. The Rangers will basically swap outfielders with Wyatt Langford (hamstring) coming on the injured list on Tuesday. Carter was struggling heavily at the plate, so some time off could be a good idea for him. The 21-year-old was in the middle of an 0-for-21 hitless streak before going down due to back tightness. The assumption is that Langford is going to gain a majority of the playing time.
Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter will take a seat on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies with a left-hander on the mound in Ranger Suarez. Carter, who is still only 21 years old, has hit just .205/.293/.394 with five home runs, 15 RBI and 23 runs scored in 40 games in 2024 in his first full season in the big leagues. Against left-handers, he has just three hits in 27 at-bats with one walk and 10 strikeouts. If Carter continues to struggle offensively for the reigning World Series champions, he could find himself on the bench more often than not when a lefty is on the mound. Ezequiel Duran is in left field and is hitting fifth against Suarez on Tuesday. Duran is hitting a strong .286 (24-for-84) on the year but has just four RBI and has yet to clear the fences. He's never faced Suarez in his career.
Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (back) is returning to the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. The rookie outfielder missed over a week due to a lower back issue. Luckily, it appears to be behind him and he's ready to play again. Carter has put together an up-and-down season so far in 2024. Fantasy managers who have Carter rostered can get him back in their lineups. Carter will cover left field and bat seventh against the Halos on Sunday.
Evan Carter
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Rangers
