TAMPA – Evan Carter said he can’t wait to recapture the promise of his debut season two years ago. He returned to the Rangers’ lineup after being activated from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, starting in center field against the Rays in their series opener at Steinbrenner Field.
Now that he’s back, manager Bruce Bochy said he’s optimistic that his player can produce big things.
“We saw what he can do back in [2023] when we brought him up,’’ Bochy said. “Evan gives us speed. He gives us defense. He has discipline at the plate. He’s a good hitter and he makes us more versatile.’’
Carter, who hasn’t played since May 16 due to a right quadriceps injury, started slowly in his first 11 games, batting .182 (6-for-33) with just one home run and three RBIs. He hoped to rebound from last season, when he batted just .188 in 45 Major League games.
But the hope is Carter returning to the form of 2023, when he debuted as a 20-year-old, batting .306 with five homers and 12 RBIs in 23 games. Against the Rays in the American League Wild Card Series, Carter went 3-for-4 in two games and became the fourth-youngest U.S.-born player to hit his first career postseason homer, behind only Bryce Harper, Mickey Mantle and Manny Machado.
“It’s really good to have Evan back,’’ Bochy said. “We’ve had a little bit of time with him this year, but he feels great. He told me, ‘I’m being honest, I feel great right now.’ So that was good to hear.’’
Bochy said he will keep a “watchful eye’’ on Carter’s progression after the injury.
“Maybe we’ll play him three games and give him a break,’’ Bochy said. “He’ll get his rest (against left-handers), not all the time but for the most part. But I’m not going to run him out there for a lot of games in a row because we need to keep him healthy.’’
Garcia still not in lineup
One player not in Tuesday’s starting lineup was right fielder Adolis García, who was out for the fourth straight game after batting just .208 in 55 games. García hit just .164 (16-for-55) with 21 strikeouts in his last 16 games, when his batting average dropped by 30 points.
Bochy said it’s a calculated decision to sit García, so he can watch, clear his mind and get in some heavy pregame work.
“He’s working hard and doing what we are asking him to do,’’ Bochy said. “We’ve got to get him back to being who he is. And it’s about making some adjustments up there. When we think he’s ready, he’ll be out there.
“I like where he’s at and talking to our hitting guys, they’re excited about where he’s at right now. You’ll see him out there soon.’’
The biggest challenge for García? Not swinging at bad pitches.
“It’s one of the toughest things in our game to say, ‘Don’t chase,’ ‘’ Bochy said. “You’ve got to have some discipline. It’s hard to take a good swing at a bad pitch. Hitting is tougher than it has ever been. Production determines whether you’re out there. We’re supporting him [García] and allowing him to tweak some things.’’
Even with his offensive woes, García has played outstanding defense. In fact, he was named one of Sports Info Solutions’ Defensive Players of the Month for May, leading all right fielders with seven defensive runs saved.
“That has been brought up, how he has not let his [lack of] hitting affect his defense,’’ Bochy said. “I’ve said it so many times. You can have a good game without getting a hit. He has had a lot of those defensively, saving a lot of runs. What he has done in the outfield has gone unnoticed by a lot of people.’’