Rangers Activate Evan Carter from Injured List for Rays Opener

The Texas Rangers are now back at full strength in their outfield as they activated Evan Carter from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday.

Carter has been on the 10-day injured list since May 18 with a right quadriceps strain. He just wrapped up a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock, during which he played three games.

There was no corresponding move. The Rangers cleared a spot on the 26-man roster on Sunday when they designated catcher Tucker Barnhart for assignment.

The Rangers start a three-city nine-game road trip on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Following that, Texas will head to face the Washington Nationals this weekend before a day off the following Monday. Then, they’ll travel to Minneapolis for three games with the Minnesota Twins.

Evan Carter Returns for Rangers

Carter started the season in the minor leagues and returned to the Rangers on May 6. He hasn’t hit well, as he’s slashed .182/.270/.273 in 11 games, with a home run and three RBI.

But he’s re-worked his swing to take pressure off the back injury that caused him to miss most of last season and, with the recent departure of Leody Taveras, the Rangers intend for Carter to continue playing center field when he’s healthy.

Texas has coverage in the outfield with second-year pro Wyatt Langford, veteran Sam Haggerty and rookie Alejandro Osuna. The Rangers also have veteran Adolis Garcia, who sat out the entire St. Louis series as he worked on his swing and plate approach in the hope of getting him right for the rest of the season.

Texas can also tap into both Josh Smith and Ezequiel Duran, who can play multiple outfield positions.