The Texas Rangers announced on Tuesday that outfielder Evan Carter will begin the season in the minor leagues following a disappointing spring training.
Carter is entering his third season with the team and is coming off a difficult 2024 campaign, during which he dealt with various injuries that limited him to just 45 appearances.
These injuries resulted in Carter batting just .188 with an OPS of .633 while collecting just 15 RBIs in his appearances.
The Rangers attempted multiple times to ramp him up into shape during the season, but these attempts failed multiple times and the club decided to shut him down in August.
Although Carter did not play much during the regular season in his rookie season in 2023, the outfielder played a major role in the Rangers’ run to the World Series, hitting .300 with a .917 OPS while appearing in all 17 postseason games.
These performances provided optimism that Carter would be part of the Rangers’ long-term plans in the outfield, though it looks more unlikely that he is the long-term answer at center field.
Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said the team wants to “get the best version of Evan” and is prepared to let him find a rhythm in the minor league before calling him back up.
“He’s not swinging it at the level we know he’s capable. We think he’s going to be a big part of our team, and we need him to be the best version of himself to help us win. We want the best version of Evan, and if we get that, he’s going to help us win a lot of games,” he added, per MLB.com.
Carter underwent surgery this offseason for a back injury but has consistently claimed he is healthy and prepared for this season.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy explained that Carter “needs to get his confidence going” in the minor leagues and the expectation is that he will be called up early in the season.
“He’s missed so much time with the injuries, it’s not that easy to hit Major League pitching. And I think he needs reps. I don’t care who you are, you miss that much time, you’re gonna have some rust there, particularly at his age,” he said, per MLB.com.
“He’s a smart guy. He knows what he needs to do. How he played in the postseason says a lot about his makeup, his toughness. He’ll go down there and we’ll get him right.”
Carter said he understands the decision and how he must return to his old form, noting that the most important aspect is proving that he can help the team win games.
“I’ve got to get back to playing good baseball. I know I can do it. I’ve proven to myself and everybody else that I can do it, and I did it on the highest stage. I know that it’s in there, and I’ve just got to get right back to feeling confident. I think that this is going to be the best opportunity for me to do that,” he explained, per MLB.com.
The Rangers are scheduled to kick off the 2025 season on Thursday at 3:05 p.m., and 28 of the 30 MLB teams will play a game on opening day this year.