4:34pm: Texas officially placed Carter on the 10-day IL and recalled Michael Helman from Triple-A.
1:47pm: Rangers outfielder Evan Carter was plunked by a pitch on his right wrist Thursday, and manager Bruce Bochy told hosts Kevin Hageland and Cory Mageors in a radio spot on 105.3 The Fan today that subsequent imaging revealed a fracture. The team hasn’t confirmed that Carter will miss the remainder of the season, but that certainly seems plausible, given the dwindling number of days on the schedule. The team hasn’t formally announced the injury, a placement on the IL or any corresponding transactions yet but will surely do so prior to tonight’s game.
Carter actually remained in the game after being hit on the wrist. He ran the bases for himself and played several more innings — even tallying a single in his next at-bat — before being lifted later in the game. Alejandro Osuna replaced him late in the game and could see an uptick in playing time with Carter joining Adolis Garcia (sprained ankle) on the injured list. Osuna, Wyatt Langford, Cody Freeman, Josh Smith, Ezequiel Duran and designated hitter Joc Pederson are the other outfield options on the Rangers’ big league roster at the moment (though Pederson has played just one game in the outfield this season).
It’s the latest in an ongoing series of tough-luck injuries for Carter, a former second-round pick and top prospect who’s yet to turn in a full season at the MLB level. He’s previously been plagued by back injuries, which led to a (relatively) minor ablation procedure last October, and he also missed time earlier this season due to a strained quadriceps.
When healthy, Carter has had an up-and-down career. He took the majors by storm late in 2023, debuting with a .306/.413/.635 slash in 75 plate appearances down the stretch before posting comparable numbers in the postseason as the Rangers marched to their first World Series title in franchise history. Last year’s ongoing back injuries surely contributed to a dismal follow-up effort, wherein he slashed just .188/.272/.361 in 162 turns at the plate. He’s been somewhere between those two extremes in 2025, hitting .247/.336/.392 — about seven percent better than league-average, by measure of wRC+.
All told, Carter is a career .235/.326/.420 hitter in the majors though that doesn’t include his outstanding playoff showing in 2023, when he batted .300/.417/.500 in 72 plate appearances. It’s clear that Carter is an immense talent, making it all the more frustrating for both him and the team that injuries have repeatedly kept him off the field.
The Rangers optioned Carter at the beginning of the season and kept him in Triple-A until May 6. It’s probably not a coincidence that said timeline means he’ll finish out the year just two days shy of two full seasons of major league service. Had Carter been recalled even two days earlier, he’d be controllable for an additional four seasons. Instead, the Rangers now control him for five additional years, all the way through 2030. In all likelihood, he’ll be a prominent factor in the Texas outfield both next year and for the foreseeable future — health permitting, of course.
In the meantime, a floundering Rangers club will try to piece together the outfield with a combination of Langford, Smith, Freeman, Duran and Pederson. Texas operated as buyers at last month’s trade deadline, but they’re 7.5 games back in the AL West and 5.5 games out of an AL Wild Card spot. Since their deadline additions are believed to have pushed them over the CBT line, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Texas placed some impending free agents on outright waivers between now and the Sept. 1 deadline for postseason eligibility, in an effort to tiptoe back underneath the luxury threshold.
This player has definitely had a rough start to his career after a great WS for Texas. I was expecting bigger things from Texas after winning WS. Good thing the core players are still young
This player is named Evan Carter.
tough dude.
I’m actually surprised this doesn’t happen more often. If you go to a game and sit anywhere near the plate the true force of the impact is scary a lot of times.
Man that sounds painful. I can understand why a lot of players blow up on the pitcher or catcher when they get hit by a pitch. I’ve sat near home plate, and it is amazing how fast those balls are coming. Television does not it justice.
Several years ago, I was messing around with my friend’s son who’s a college pitcher. He can throw in the low to mid 90s. I couldn’t even get my bat to touch his mid 80s flat fastball to save my life. I did manage to foul off a slow knuckle curve by sheer luck.
When you’re in a batting cage, even 80mph is faster coming at you than you’d think.
I mean Clayton Kershaw throws an 85mph fastball. And if you’re watching the game on TV and he hits someone, you’re probably thinking oh it was “only” 85.
But when every young arm is throwing 10mph harder with less control? The batters box can’t be a comfortable place to stand at times.
Uh oh!
I wonder if Evan Carter will ever put in a full season with the Rangers? Lots of talent, but that congenital spine problem will reduce his playing career.