Positive Evan Carter update may have come too late to save his Rangers roster spot

Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter, who has been sidelined since June 13 with a strained right oblique, will begin a rehab assignment on Friday and took live batting practice at Globe Life Field on Thursday, according to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. Obviously, it's a positive development. However, even though Carter is ahead of schedule, it still may be too late to save his roster spot.

Carter has been a strong defensive center fielder this year with +5 Defensive Runs Saved in 499 2/3 innings, but has been an absolute liability at the plate. In 229 plate appearances across 66 games this year, Carter has hit just .176/.292/.321 (77 wRC+). Meanwhile, Alejando Osuna, who has taken over Carter's spot in the lineup, has been heating up lately, slashing .368/.429/.474 (159 wRC+) in 21 plate appearances over his last six games, as of June 25. If Osuna's hot streak continues during Carter's rehab assignment, president of baseball operations, Chris Young, could seriously consider optioning Carter to Triple-A Round Rock after the young outfielder is reinstated from the injured list.

For some teams, Carter's strong defense would be enough to keep him around in the majors despite his offensive struggles. Unfortunately, the Rangers aren't one of those teams. Entering Friday, Texas ranked 26th in MLB in runs scored with 325. Meanwhile, the Rangers rank in the top half of the league in DRS and Outs Above Average. The club doesn't need Carter's defense as much as it needs offensive help. If Osuna continues raking, the Rangers need to keep him in their lineup regularly. Also, Osuna is about an average defender in right and left field. With Wyatt Langford manning center, the outfield defense is just fine. It's the offense that needs work.

Rangers' Evan Carter may need a Triple-A reset

It's really disappointing we're discussing sending Carter to Triple-A three whole seasons after he took the league by storm as a 21-year-old in 2023, slashing .306/.413/.645 (184 wRC+) over 23 games in September before helping lead the Rangers to their first World Series victory by hitting .300/.417/.500 (158 wRC+) in 17 postseason games. Frequent injuries may be a reason he hasn't been able to perform as he did three years ago, but the league may have also adjusted to him.

A reset with Triple-A Round Rock may be what Carter needs to get his career back on track. Just look at Twins third baseman Royce Lewis, who was optioned to Triple-A last month after a similar start to the year as Carter. After being demoted, Lewis hit eight home runs in 13 games for Triple-A St. Paul. Minnesota recalled Lewis on June 6, and he has hit .273/.329/.500 (126 wRC+) in 73 plate appearances since then. If the Rangers follow the Twins' Lewis blueprint with Carter, the club could get a much-needed offensive boost from Carter later in the season.

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