Evan Carter injury: Rangers outfielder leaves spring training game, but day to day after getting hit on arm

Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter, CBS Sports’ No. 3 prospect and one of the breakout performers of last fall’s postseason, seems to have avoided serious injury after being hit on the forearm by a pitch in the first inning of Sunday’s game against the San Franciso Giants. Carter exited the game at the time, but X-rays on Carter’s left forearm showed no fracture, according to the team. He’s day to-day. 

Carter, 21, made his big-league debut last September. He appeared in 21 regular season contests, hitting .306/.413/.645 (182 OPS+) with five home runs and three stolen bases. His contributions were worth an estimated 1.6 Wins Above Replacement, according to the estimates housed at Baseball Reference.

Carter subsequently made his presence known during the Rangers’ World Series run. In 17 playoff games overall, he hit .300/.417/.500 with a home run and another three stolen bases. Carter reached base via hit, walk, or hit by pitch in all 17 contests.

CBS Sports ranked Carter, technically still a rookie, as the No. 3 prospect in the sport entering this spring. Here’s what we wrote at the time:

Carter, who didn’t partake in many showcase circuit events as an amateur, was a relative unknown when the Rangers selected him in the second round of the 2020 draft. Initial criticism gave way to fast-and-furious mea culpas once area scouts who saw him that spring started to spread The Word. Carter has since introduced himself to the world on a national stage during the postseason. He has an excellent command over the strike zone (if anything he could stand to be more aggressive) and feel for making solid contact. He’s also a speedy runner who can play all three outfield positions. The main question left about his game entails his power potential. Whatever the resolution, he’s going to remain an important part of the Rangers lineup for years to come.

The results make it unlikely that Carter will require any kind of extended absence, but it’s worth noting that the Rangers also have in their system the player who CBS Sports ranked as the No. 4 prospect in baseball: fellow outfielder Wyatt Langford.

The Rangers are slated to open their season on March 28 against the Chicago Cubs.