Rookie Evan Carter Shockingly Left Out of Texas Rangers' Lineup For ALCS Game 2

Veteran Robbie Grossman is starting in place of rookie sensation Evan Carter for the Texas Rangers in Game 2 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros.

There was a notable absence on manager Bruce Bochy's lineup card for Game 2 of the ALCS.

Rookie outfielder Evan Carter is not in the Texas Rangers' starting lineup Monday, despite starting and completing all six of his team's playoff contests to this point. Starting in Carter's place is veteran Robbie Grossman, who appeared as the Rangers' designated hitter in their first three games this postseason before spending the next three on the bench.

Grossman will bat third and serve as Texas' starting left fielder, while Mitch Garver will hold down the fort at designated hitter, as he has the last three games.

Carter played a major part in the Rangers' 2-0 win over the Houston Astros in Game 1, doubling and scoring in the second inning. Carter made a key play in the field as well, securing a leaping grab and relaying the ball in for a double play when the Astros were threatening to stage a comeback in the eighth.

So far this postseason, Carter is 7-for-18 with a home run, four doubles, three RBI, six walks, a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base. His 14 time reaching base safely is tied for the most by a rookie in MLB history through six appearances.

Grossman, meanwhile, is 2-for-14 with eight strikeouts and one walk in these playoffs.

Carter is ranked as the No. 8 prospect in all of baseball, and he immediately stuffed the stat sheets when the Rangers called him up in September. He hit .306 with a 1.058 OPS, which still doesn't reach the .389 and 1.338 marks he's put up in the playoffs.

Grossman hit .238 with a .734 OPS and -0.1 WAR in 115 games for the Rangers this year. The 33-year-old bounced around from the Astros to the Minnesota Twins to the Oakland Athletics to the Detroit Tigers to the Atlanta Braves before landing in Texas last winter.

The Rangers will be facing off against left-hander Framber Valdez to open Game 2 on Monday, though, which actually could have spelled trouble for Carter had he been in the lineup.

Carter, a left-handed batter, went 0-for-10 with a walk and six strikeouts versus lefties in the regular season. The switch-hitting Grossman, on the other hand, batted .309 with a .953 OPS when facing lefties in 2023.

Texas' full starting lineup is as follows:

2B Marcus Semien
SS Corey Seager
LF Robbie Grossman
RF Adolis García
DH Mitch Garver
C Jonah Heim
1B Nathaniel Lowe
3B Josh Jung
CF Leody Taveras
SP Nathan Eovaldi

Game 2 coming at you. #GoAndTakeIt pic.twitter.com/OsqjsyoHjB

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) October 16, 2023

First pitch for Game 2 is scheduled for 4:37 p.m. ET on Monday.

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