The Texas Rangers will be without their center fielder for the foreseeable future.
Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reported that the Rangers are placing center fielder Evan Carter on the 10-day injured list with an oblique strain and are recalling Cody Freeman from Triple-A Round Rock to take Carter's place on the roster.
Carter appeared to have suffered his injury during the Rangers' game against the Boston Red Sox when he made a diving catch in the fourth inning. The center fielder was pulled from the game in the fifth inning. While Carter was only placed on the 10-day IL, the expectation is that he will miss more time.
Prior to landing on the IL, Carter was in the midst of a disappointing season. In 66 games, the 23-year-old is slashing .176/.292/.321 with six home runs, 21 RBI and an OPS of .621. Injuries have been a common theme for Carter over the last couple of seasons. He was limited to just 63 games due to a right quadriceps strain, back spasms, and then a fractured right wrist, which ended his season in 2025.
With Carter now on the IL, Texas is expected to turn to Michael Helman to get the bulk of the reps in center field.
The aforementioned Freeman will now return to the major leagues after a short stint early this month. Freeman last played for the Rangers back on June 3 against the St. Louis Cardinals, going 1-for-2 at the plate in one start.
The 25-year-old is in the starting lineup this afternoon for Texas, playing second base and batting sixth as the Rangers continue their series against Boston.
They enter Saturday tied with the Athletics for second place in the American League West. The two ballclubs are also tied for the final Wild Card spot in the AL.
