Michael

Helman

Carter hasn’t played since exiting Friday’s game after being hit on the foot by a pitch from Eli Morgan. He was able to avoid any fractures, but it still dealing with a bit of soreness and swelling. He should return to the lineup in another day or two. Michael Helman will once again start in his place in center field and will bat ninth against Royals’ right-hander Michael Wacha.

Carter takes a seat against righty Seth Lugo with Michael Helman getting an opportunity in center field. The 23-year-old former top prospect has been struggling for a couple weeks, batting .136 (12-for-88) with three homers and five steals over his last 30 games.

Jung has been out since being removed from Saturday’s game with shoulder soreness. The 28-year-old will continue to recover from the bench with Ezequiel Duran playing third base and Michael Helman starting at shortstop.

Jung was replaced by Michael Helman, with Helman taking over at shortstop and Ezequiel Duran moving to third base. Jung will likely undergo imaging on the shoulder, and at the very least, it seems unlikely he’ll be in the lineup for Sunday’s finale against Los Angeles.

Helman returns to the majors for the first time since last year when he got into a career-high 38 games for the Rangers, with Corey Seager hitting the injured list with back inflammation. The 29-year-old figures to occupy a bench role at the highest level.

Osuna and Helman come up short on bids to break camp in the big leagues with the Rangers going with Ezequiel Duran and Andrew McCutchen in reserve roles. Osuna got into 63 games as a rookie last year and has the look of a reserve outfielder. Helman is a gritty jack-of-all-trades utility specialist with plenty of defensive versatility. He should get another look in the near future.

It’s Helman’s first homer of the Cactus League season, and it came off James Kingsbury in the sixth inning. Helman was a nice surprise for the Rangers in 2025 with a .744 OPS in 99 at-bats, and he seems likely to be the fourth outfielder for Texas to open 2026.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker told reporters Freeman will be shut down for at least the next month before resuming baseball activities. The versatile 25-year-old got into 36 games for Texas as a rookie last year and was in line to open the season in a bench role. His absence makes it much easier for someone like Sam Haggerty or Michael Helman to secure a spot on the club’s season-opening roster.

Where did this guy come from? The red-hot Helman put the exclamation point on the Rangers’ six-run first inning here with a two-out, two-run double to knock Mets’ starter Jonah Tong from the game. He now has a 1.036 OPS with four home runs, 15 RBI, and two stolen bases while playing incredible defense in center field in two weeks since becoming a full-time player.

Helman tagged Brewers’ starter Chad Patrick for a game-tying, 383-foot (101.5 mph EV) two-run blast in the fifth inning. The 29-year-old outfielder also drew a walk in the ballgame. He has done a nice job in his limited action for the Rangers this season, slashing .255/.333/.627 with five long balls, 17 RBI and three stolen bases in his first 58 plate appearances.