Texas Rangers center fielder Evan Carter is expected to miss the start of the 2027 season, team president of baseball operations Chris Young said today, per the beats. Carter underwent surgery to repair his hip labrum, and while it is expected that he will be able to play for a significant portion of the 2027 season, he is going to be on the injured list to start the season.
This is disappointing news for Carter, who has been dogged by injuries throughout his career, and for the team. Carter struggled
offensively in 2026, posting a .194/.288/.315 slash line in 455 plate appearances, but was an excellent defender in center field, being named a finalist for the American League Gold Glove in center field. We had hoped that a full, healthy offseason would put Carter in position to take a step forward in 2027. He make still take that step forward, but it will only be after an i.l. stint and rehab assignment.
Per the beats, Chris Young said that Carter’s injury means that center field will be a primary focus this offseason. One of the questions for the offseason was whether they’d be in the market for someone who could play center, at least on a part-time basis, versus using Wyatt Langford or Ezequiel Duran in center when Carter isn’t playing. This sort of forces the Rangers’ hand in that regard.
On the payroll front, per the beats, Young said that the team expects to have a similar payroll to 2026. I guess at this point that qualifies as good news, as there’s been fears that there would be more cuts to payroll again this offseason.
