‘Expect Him To Play’: Texas Rangers’ Evan Carter Has Hip Surgery, Won’t Be Ready For Start Of 2027 Season
ARLINGTON, Texas — Last week, Evan Carter had arthroscopic surgery on his right hip, and the Texas Rangers center fielder is not expected to be ready for the start of the 2027 season, president of baseball operations Chris Young told reporters Monday, The Dallas Morning News’ Shawn McFarland reported. Dr. William Robertson addressed a labral issue and a hip impingement during the procedure.
The Rangers still “expect him to play” much of next season, according to Young. Carter faces a likely recovery period of about six months.
During Carter’s exit physical, the team thought his discomfort was muscular and nothing major, Young said. The soreness continued into the offseason, and after further diagnostic testing, Carter saw two specialists who recommended surgery.
“I do believe in light of what we’ve learned in this diagnosis for Evan, that it probably impacted him to some degree over the course of the season,” Young said. “It is impressive, his ability to play through this. I think it’s safe to say, given the extent of the surgery, that there was something in there.”
Evan Carter Played Through Hip Issue In 2026
Carter hit .194/.288/.315 with 9 home runs, 40 RBI, and 17 stolen bases in 141 games this season. All 112 of his defensive starts came in center field.
His only stay on the injured list this season came from June 13 to June 28 with a right oblique strain. Carter played in only 108 of a possible 324 games across the two previous seasons. He missed most of 2024 with a lower back injury, and in 2025 he went on the injured list three times, with a right quadriceps strain, back spasms, and a fractured right wrist that ended his season.
Carter debuted in September 2023 and hit .306 with 5 home runs and 12 RBI in 23 games. He reached base in all 17 of the Rangers’ postseason games during their World Series run, hitting .300 with 9 doubles and 10 walks. He is a .215 career hitter with 24 home runs and 92 RBI in 272 games.
Carter turned 24 on Aug. 29. Young said the team’s doctors expect him to make a full recovery.
“He still is a young player with a bright career ahead of him. Our doctors anticipate that he will make a full recovery,” Young explained. “But it’s going to be an offseason of rehabbing versus an offseason of training for next season.”
Texas Rangers Weigh Center Field Options Without Carter
Ezequiel Durán, who won a Gold Glove as a utility player on Sunday, started 14 games in center field this season. Primary left fielder Wyatt Langford made 13 starts in center.
Young was not ready to say how the Rangers would cover center field without Carter. Any offseason moves could affect that plan, according to Young.
Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1. The 2027 regular season is scheduled to open March 24.
