The Texas Rangers called up top prospect Evan Carter ahead of their series against the Oakland Athletics, the team announced Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Carter, an outfielder, is being promoted as All-Star Adolis García heads to the injured list with a patellar tendon strain. García is batting .244 with 34 home runs and leads the American League with 100 RBIs.
- The Rangers selected Carter — who turned 21 last month — in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft. The Athletic’s Keith Law listed Carter as the No. 10 prospect in baseball in his midseason rankings.
- Carter is batting .288/.413/.450 with 13 home runs and 26 stolen bases across three minor-league levels this season.
Evan Carter is headed to The Show. #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/8hY9kC6UcR
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) September 7, 2023
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What it means for Rangers
Is there a good time to lose a two-time All Star? Probably not. But the timing for the Rangers, losers of three in a row and six of their last seven, cannot be happy to see García go down now. The injury will leave García’s availability in question for October. But his absence also makes it that much tougher for the Rangers to qualify for the postseason. The team has fallen behind Toronto in the race for the third AL wild card. García offered right-handed balance to a lineup being carried by Corey Seager, a left-handed hitter. He had also played strong defense in right field.
Carter is a legitimate prospect, but it won’t be easy for him, at 21, to replace García. — McCullough
Backstory
Carter, 6 feet 2 and 190 pounds, entered the year as the No. 53 prospect in the sport, per Law’s rankings. He slashed .285/.410/.459 over his three minor-league seasons.
The Rangers (76-63) are squarely in the AL wild-card race, half a game back of the Blue Jays for the third spot.
Required reading
(Photo: Ben Ludeman / Texas Rangers / Getty Images)
