The Rangers are making noise in the AL West race, but not everybody on the roster is helping write that story. While Texas has chipped away at the Houston Astros over the past week, a few familiar names have faded out of the picture - and that kind of disappearance can change a player’s future fast.
Evan Carter is the clearest case. The center fielder who had the fanbase buzzing with his 2023 debut and postseason run has been absent for all of 2026, and the leash from Chris Young and Skip Schumaker has apparently gotten a lot shorter.
Texas kept giving him everyday run even while he was hitting below the Mendoza Line, but his grip on a role has only loosened. Carter has been especially lost against lefties, where he owns a .121/.183/.121 slash line, and his playing time has already started to shrink down the stretch.
He’s headed for arbitration in 2027 without much leverage, which could make him cheap enough to keep around - but the production points the other way. At .195, he has not given the Rangers much reason to stay committed.
Nicky Lopez looked like a nice fit when he arrived from the Cubs in late May. He was making contact, filling in the gaps and doing the kind of little things that matter on a winning club.
But the roster has shifted around him. With Corey Seager and Cody Freeman back, and Justin Foscue settling in as a regular option against left-handed pitching at second base, Lopez may simply be squeezed out of the 2027 picture.
His bat has cooled as expected from a player with a .250 career average, and since August 10 he is 11-for-47 with just one extra-base hit. Lopez is easy to root for and clearly useful in a clubhouse, but the Rangers are chasing the Astros and White Sox, and there’s not much room for a lineup spot that doesn’t bring enough pop.
Kyle Higashioka’s situation feels even more crowded. He landed on the 10-day injured list on July 21, 2026, with a right flexor strain and is now working a rehab assignment at Triple-A Round Rock, where he is hitting .239/.327/.413.
The injury came at a bad time because he was already struggling before it, and while he’s been out, Elias Diaz and Danny Jansen have handled the catching duties in Arlington. That alone says plenty about how much the organization has noticed his absence during this postseason push.
Higashioka is 36 now, and the dip in both defense and health is hard to ignore. He does have a $7 million mutual option for 2027, but with the deadline trade for Logan O'Hoppe and the catcher logjam already in place, the Rangers are expected to decline their side.
In Other News...
Marcus Semien Still Has Strong Feelings About His Rangers Exit
Marcus Semien is still looking back at his Rangers run with appreciation, even after a stretch in which the numbers were not always in his favor. The veteran infielder admitted his final two seasons in Texas did not go the way he wanted statistically, but he also made clear that his time with the club carried plenty of meaning, from the long-term commitment he signed before the 2022 season to the championship payoff that followed.
Semien said he remains proud of what he helped build in Arlington, especially his role in the Rangers 2023 World Series title, and his connection to the area has not disappeared even after the offseason trade to the Mets. He still lives in the Dallas area, which says plenty about how closely his life stayed tied to the franchise and the city, even as his on-field future moved in a new direction. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Just Got Late-Inning Help Back At The Perfect Time
The Rangers got a little healthier in the bullpen on Saturday, activating right-hander Peyton Gray from the 15-day injured list and sending Adam Macko to Triple-A Round Rock. Gray had been sidelined since Aug. 31 with right elbow inflammation, and his return gives Texas another late-inning arm as the club moves deeper into the stretch run.
Macko, acquired at the trade deadline, had appeared in eight games and carried a 6.00 ERA before the Rangers decided to option him out. For a team trying to line up its relief mix with the playoffs approaching, Grays timing matters, and Texas will be hoping he can settle back in quickly after the layoff. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Just Made The AL West Race Even More Nerve-Racking
The Rangers had a chance to keep a little separation in the AL West, but a 6-3 loss to the Mets instead tightened the screws on a race that already had no margin for error. MacKenzie Gore gave Texas an encouraging start, and Nathan Eovaldi helped bridge the middle of the game, but the bullpen could not hold it together long enough to protect the lead and steady the night.
Now the standings are where the Rangers least wanted them to be, with Texas still a half-game ahead of Houston and just five games left to play. Winning the division means finishing in front of the Astros, and after this loss, every inning from here on out carries the kind of weight that turns a tense stretch run into something far more nerve-racking. [Read more 🡒]