Texas Rangers Young Stud Shut Down From Baseball Activities Amid Injury

Texas Rangers youngster Evan Carter, who was integral in helping the Rangers win the World Series a season ago, has been shut down from baseball activities.

Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (32) cannot catch a ball during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field on May 19. / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Texas Rangers have shut down young outfielder Evan Carter from baseball activities because of his continued back problems.

MLB.com posted the news on Friday:

Carter was set to visit a specialist in California for a second opinion on his lower back soreness, manager Bruce Bochy said on Friday. The 21-year-old Carter will be shut down from baseball activities until this appointment, after which the Rangers will reassess Carter's condition and map out next steps for his recovery.

The young Carter has been a big loss for the defending champions. In addition to him, the Rangers have also missed Josh Jung for nearly all of the year and they saw Mitch Garver leave in free agency, which has whittled away at the offense even further.

Despite those losses, the Rangers are still within shouting distance of a playoff spot. They trail the Houston Astros in the American League West by 3.5 games and are 2.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners for second place. They are 6.0 back in the wild card and appear primed to make measured adds at the trade deadline.

In addition to getting Jung back soon, they should also be getting Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle back in short order.

The 21-year-old Carter has had a tough year in addition to the injuries. He's hitting only .188 with five homers and 15 RBI. He was a huge part of the Rangers' World Series run a season ago, hitting .300 in the playoffs with one homer, six RBI and three stolen bases.

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