Rangers out Evan Carter is headed to the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain, the team announced. The Rangers recalled a center fielder/outfielder Cody Freeman from Triple-A Round Rock to take Carter’s roster spot.
Injuries have been a frequent occurrence during a grueling career for Carter, who has hit IL five times since his 2023 start. He has appeared in just 108 of 324 regular season games since 2024-25. Carter had been healthy this year until this injury flared up, playing in 66 of the Rangers’ 69 games. The extent of his latest illness is unclear, but oblique issues often lead to him being sidelined for long periods of time.
The lefty-swinging Carter looked like a future star when the Rangers promoted him to the majors in September 2023. He slashed .306/.413/.645 over a 23-game, 75-plate appearance to close out the regular season. Carter followed that up by hitting .300/.417/.500 in 72 plate appearances during the Rangers’ World Series Finals victory over the Diamondbacks.
Carter was riding high heading into 2024, but back problems limited him to 45 games and kept him out since late May. He hit .188/.272/.361 with five home runs in 162 plate appearances that year. Carter’s performance improved in 2025, where he hit .247/.336/.392 with five HRs and 14 stolen bases, but quadriceps, back and wrist issues limited him to 63 games and 220 PA.
Although Carter has been the best player for the Rangers this year, his offense has regressed. He’s hitting the shelf with a .176/.292/.321 line, six homers and 10 steals in 229 trips to the plate. Carter’s .209 batting average on balls in play suggests he was unlucky, but his xBA, xSLG and xwOBA all rank in the league-low 19th percentile or worse. Lefties have been tough on Carter, who has gone a miserable 1 for 27 with one strikeout, 11 strikeouts and three walks against them.
More to comeā¦
