ARLINGTON -- Ideally, in his third Major League season, Rangers outfielder Evan Carter would have significantly more than 400 at-bats to his name. In a perfect world, the lefty, who turns 23 next week, would’ve gotten far more than 60 of those at-bats against left-handed pitchers. He could’ve spent more time on the basepaths and more time in center field.
Instead, he has spent an agonizing amount of days on the injured list -- and he landed there again Friday with a right wrist fracture that will in all likelihood keep him out the rest of the season.
“Another setback,” manager Bruce Bochy said Friday, a day after Carter came out of the game in Kansas City after being hit on the wrist by a pitch. “It’s really disappointing for the kid.”
Carter played in just 45 games in 2024 due to lingering back injuries, and he has had two previous stints on the IL this season. First, he was sidelined by a quad strain in May; then, early this month, he was down with back spasms.
But after coming back on Aug. 13, Carter slashed .308/.419/.462 in eight games.
“He was throwing out pretty good at-bats against the lefties,” Bochy said. “A lot of good things were happening before this.”
Carter has played five seasons of pro baseball -- but has only played in 402 games combined, including 131 with the Rangers since he became a key contributor late in their championship season in 2023.
It’s hard to quantify how much development Carter has missed out on due to injuries and how much more polished a player he would be if he had been healthy all this time. But Bochy said the injuries have held Carter back in his progress in “every facet of the game.”
“Part of it is just preparation, just the routine -- [how] you get ready for a game and adjusting, if you have to, during the season -- because he still hasn't had a full season,” Bochy said. “So that's still going to be part of his development, but really, it's every part and phase of the game. We talked about yesterday, a fly ball in the sun -- knowing little things that he can learn. Whether it’s defensively, on the bases, getting to know the pitcher -- not just hitting, but their moves and stuff. He got picked off the other day. Those are growing pains. So those are things that he'll be missing.”