BOSTON -- Just one day after an amazing, but awkward, diving catch forced Evan Carter from the game, the Rangers’ center fielder landed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain.
It’s another injury blow for Texas, especially on the defensive end, just as it was starting to look like health was in the team’s favor.
In the Rangers’ Friday night series opener against the Red Sox, Carter came charging in on a quickly dropping fly ball off the bat of Isiah Kiner-Falefa, but in diving head-first to make the grab, his body contorted unfavorably.
“I kind of landed in a way where my hips twisted way more than what my upper body was twisted at the moment,” the outfielder explained following Friday’s game. “That’s kind of our best guess as to what happened.”
This is the first time that Carter, who is hitting .176 this season and is tied for second on the club with a 1.5 WAR, has hit the injured list this season. He spent three separate stints on the IL last season.
In his place, the club recalled infielder/outfielder Cody Freeman, who was optioned back to Triple-A Round Rock just nine days prior following a 1-for-2 effort on June 3. He hit .341 with 11 RBIs in 10 games in Triple-A this season.
“The main issue for us was trying to find a right-handed bat to try to combat the two lefties in the next two days,” manager Skip Schumaker said in explaining the move.
As for Carter’s return, the team will take a cautious approach -- especially when it comes to him picking up a bat and taking swings -- given the varying nature of oblique strains.
“I don’t like to guess,” said Schumaker. “I think it’s rare that you’re down for a week and then can just hit. There’s a ramp up to this and it’s his right side which is his opening side. I don’t know what that looks like. I’m guessing it’s going to be the full IL stint. Hopefully not more, but you just don’t know.”