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How Rangers Move Forward After Carter Injury
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- How Rangers Move Forward After Carter Injury
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
On Monday afternoon, it was revealed that the Texas Rangers will have to start next season without their everyday center fielder.
Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said that outfielder Evan Carter underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right hip last week.
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The surgery, which was performed by Dr. William J. Robertson in Arlington, was aimed at addressing a labral injury and a hip impingement.
After finishing the season in some discomfort, Carter and the Rangers consulted two different specialists and ultimately decided that surgery was the best path forward.
Carter not expected out long for Rangers
Young said that Texas doesn't expect to be without Carter for too long, but it is unlikely that he will be ready for the start of the 2027 season.
It was also made clear that the injury likely affected Carter to some extent during the 2026 campaign in which he hit just .194 with nine home runs and 40 RBI.
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Despite the struggles at the plate, Carter played in 141 games, which is by far the most of any season in his career, and played great defense in center field, as he was named a Gold Glove Award finalist.
However, there's no doubt that some of the injuries to his teammates, as well as his strong defensive play, kept Carter in the lineup down the stretch run.
Rangers might add center fielder to roster
It's certinally not likely that the Rangers will swing at the top of either the free agent or trade market to bring in another center fielder for next season, but an external addition could be in the cards.
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Texas will now have to make finding another option in center field a priority this offseason in a year without a ton of position player depth on the open market.
Wyatt Langford could also be an option in center depending on the length of time Carter is sidelined for, but there's no doubt it seems that the Rangers would prefer to keep him in left.
As for Carter, injuries have plagued him since he burst onto the scene late in the 2023 season to help the Rangers win their first World Series title.
In 2024 and 2025 combined, Carter appeared in just 108 games, and now he has another injury to work through in what many see as a big offseason/Spring Training for him.
The Rangers certainly still believe in Carter but recognize that the opportunity to be a major-league player doesn't last forever.
