Evan Carter to Be Called up to MLB by Rangers; Baseball's No. 8 Overall Prospect

The Texas Rangers have trended in the wrong direction of late, so they are calling up their top prospect in an effort to turn things around ahead of the stretch run.

Texas announced it is calling up outfielder Evan Carter before Friday's game against the Oakland Athletics:

According to MLB.com's rankings, Carter is the No. 1 prospect in the Rangers' system and the No. 8 overall prospect in the league.

Carter's promotion comes just in time for the Rangers.

After all, they were just swept by the Houston Astros in a three-game series and are an ugly 4-15 in their last 19 games. The swoon has dropped them into third place in the American League West behind the Astros and Seattle Mariners. They are also a half-game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the final AL wild-card spot.

Texas being in the playoffs once seemed like a foregone conclusion, and now it is struggling to keep pace in both races.

Carter's promotion wasn't the only move for Texas, as Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today reported All-Star right fielder Adolis García was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a patella strain.

It is a major loss, as García has 34 home runs and a league-best 100 RBI on the campaign.

García's absence will place even more pressure on Carter to perform, and Wilson noted he will likely play in center and left field against right-handed pitchers even though there is a chance he could slot into the lineup against southpaws as well.

Carter has a slash line of .288/.413/.450 with 13 home runs, 67 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 108 games across three different minor league teams this season. His ability to impact the game in a variety of ways by playing multiple positions in the field and bringing power and speed on offense stands out and should provide a much-needed boost for the Rangers.

If it doesn't, Texas may miss out on the postseason entirely.