BOSTON — The nearly-healthy Rangers run lasted all of one week.
Carter strained his oblique when he dove for a catch in the fourth inning of Friday’s loss. He said after the game that his “hips twisted way more than what my upper body was twisted at the moment” when he crashed to the ground. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker did not disclose the grade of the strain but acknowledged that oblique strain recovery times can vary player-to-player. Two Rangers players — Langford and first baseman Jake Burger — both suffered oblique strains last season, but neither missed more than two weeks’ worth of time.
“There’s a ramp-up to this,” Schumaker said. “It’s his right side, which is his opening side, even though he did it on a dive, it’s still on the side that he twists with when he hits. I don’t know what that looks like, but, I’m guessing that it’s going to be the full [injured list] stint and hopefully not more.”
The 23-year-old had avoided injuries through the first two-plus months of the regular season but has now taken five trips to the injured list in his first three big league seasons with oblique, quad, back and wrist ailments. He played only 108 of a possible 324 games in the two previous seasons combined and has yet to play more than 66 games in a single season.
Carter has slashed .176/.292/.321 this season, but has been arguably among the best defensive center fielders in the American League. His defensive runs saved and outs above average both ranked second only to Red Sox center fielder Ceddane Rafaela.