Rangers Slated To Get Young Stars Kumar Rocker, Evan Carter Back This Week

It was a notable Sunday for the Texas Rangers.

News broke that their ace Nathan Eovaldi was being moved to the injured list with a triceps issue, something that is a major loss based on how well this pitching staff has performed to keep the team afloat amidst all the offensive struggles that have occurred.

Tucker Barnhart was also designated for assignment with no corresponding move being announced at the time.

It seems like that's because the Rangers are going to get Evan Carter back.

According to Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports, the young star is "expected to be activated" on Tuesday when Texas travels to face the Tampa Bay Rays at the start of their nine-game homestand.

In additional news, Wilson added that Kumar Rocker is "likely to start" on Wednesday against the Rays, making his return from the injured list.

Both of their returns would come at a welcome time.

While Carter hasn't been the same player that he was during the Rangers' run to winning the World Series in 2023, it's still hard to give up on the talented former top prospect at just 22 years old. And since this offense needs all the help they can get, adding the high-ceiling player back to the mix will hopefully provide a spark.

As for Rocker, his season got off to a strange start with an 8.10 ERA across his five starts.

Perhaps that should have been expected coming off a spring where he struggled, but it was still surprising to see him perform in that manner considering how promising he looked during the latter stages of the 2024 campaign.

The good news is Rocker has dominated in his rehab starts, throwing seven total scoreless innings where he didn't allow a single hit in four frames with Triple-A Round Rock.

If his shoulder impingement was causing those early-season struggles, then how he has performed in these two outings should provide optimism.

Texas will have to make those moves official in the coming days, but the two young stars are set to be back in The Show this week.

More From Rangers On SI