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The Texas Rangers might want to take more than 10 days to let Evan Carter’s back rest. History says the back woes might linger.
SEATTLE — Evan Carter suggested that 10 days is all he will need on the injured list for his back spasms to calm down before rejoining the Texas Rangers‘ lineup. History, though, tells us it might be a longer stint.
Carter missed most of last season with an ailment that wasn’t resolved until an offseason procedure to calm the nerve that was giving him fits. He needed a month in the minors to start the season to allow his swing to catch up for lost time.
He said that the symptoms he’s feeling now are similar to what he experienced last season.
“It’s one of those things where we feel like it’s best to give it a break,” Carter said. “We’ve got to be honest with what I need.”
Carter said that he’s been playing through the back woes for a handful of games without seeing any improvement after various treatments, including massage therapy. He tried to play through the pain last season for an extended stretch, back to spring training, before the Rangers gave him an IL stint in May 0f 2024.
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It flared up again as soon as he returned and eventually forced him to miss the rest of the season. It hampered him to the point where he was unable to move at the plate the way he did in 2023. There were times he couldn’t even swing at pitches he knew were strikes.
This latest flare-up hasn’t lasted nearly as long, so that’s good news. He also has a daily maintenance program he didn’t have last year, so there’s reason to believe that the current woes are just ordinary wear and tear that many players feel at this point in a season.
But history needs to be the Rangers’ guide here. If Carter isn’t 100 percent in 10 days, give him all the time he needs.
Jung on Sunday?
Third baseman Josh Jung ran through some running and fielding Saturday morning and said his sore calf is feeling better. Manager Bruce Bochy said that Jung was available to pinch-hit and almost needed to be used.
The Rangers managed without him in the 6-4 victory and hinted that Jung could be available Sunday for the series finale. His return would help free up the base cloggers in the lineup.
Rowdy Tellez has played first base the past three games, and he’s no speed demon. Jung isn’t either and likely won’t be anywhere close to full speed when he returns, but Josh Smith can move from third to first and put Tellez on the bench.
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The Rangers are at their best when they are aggressive on the bases, and a lineup that includes Tellez and Joc Pederson hampers the bottom of the lineup’s ability to manufacture runs with speed.
Kelly’s debut
Right-hander Merrill Kelly said he was in Napa, California, with his wife Thursday and was about to tour a winery when his phone rang. He had been traded to the Rangers.
The deal didn’t stop him from purchasing some red wine, and the Rangers didn’t make him rush to the nearest airport to get to Seattle. They did ask if he could start Saturday, and he obliged them.
He was on schedule to start Friday if the Diamondbacks hadn’t traded him, and an extra day wasn’t an issue. He arrived at T Mobile Park on Friday just in time to get in some throwing.
“If anything, I was actually happy with it just because of the day off going into when I would have been throwing,” he said. “So the fact that I got an extra day and I was able to get here yesterday and move the arm around a little bit was actually a little bit of a benefit.”
Kelly retired the first eight Mariners before an infield single by Cole Young, and he had a one-hitter through five innings. The fifth got bumpy, as the Mariners scored twice and Kelly made two mental mistakes.
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The first was a balk after a third disengagement from the rubber, and it pushed in the first Seattle run. Kelly also lost track of the outs on a grounder back to the mound. A throw to first would have ended the inning, but he threw to third in an attempt to get Julio Rodriguez.
“Other than the sixth inning, really good,” Kelly said. “Other than forgetting how many outs there were in the inning, we’re all solid. Happy with it.”
Who’s available?
Bochy said after the extra-innings win that several relievers wouldn’t be available Sunday for the series finale behind Jacob deGrom.
Topping the list is closer Robert Garcia, who blew his second save in less than 24 hours before exiting with midback spasms. The Rangers don’t think Garcia will end up on the injured list, but he likely won’t pitch for a third straight game.
Also, don’t expect newcomers Danny Coulombe or Phil Maton to be available after the worked the seventh and eighth innings for a second straight day. Coulombe put out a big threat he created in the seventh by catching MVP candidate Cal Raleigh looking for the final out.
The Rangers had Raleigh’s number. He struck out five times.
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Shawn Armstrong might be in line to close after being used for only one out Saturday, though don’t sleep on Cole Winn. He pitched the ninth inning in one of the biggest sports of his career.
Hoby Milner and Jon Gray, who was being saved to be the long man in case the game went beyond 11 innings, should also be ready to go.
Jeff Wilson, jwilson@alldlls.com
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