Texas Rangers baseball fans are cautiously optimistic for the prompt and healthy return of their “Little Savior,” the young Evan Carter. The talented outfielder (still officially in his rookie season) has been placed on the 10-day injured list (IL) with a lumbar sprain. He has had a history of back problems dating back to his time in high school, but they have not caused him to miss any significant amount of time in recent history since he went on the injured list with the Rangers’ single-A ball club (Down East Wood Ducks) in 2021. That injury helped to lead him to his worst statistical season in the minors or majors by a significant margin until his struggles began this season. Therefore, some fans speculate that this injury may have caused his poor hitting performance at the plate this season, where he is currently batting south of the Mendoza line. Whether this is the case or not, back problems may lead to poorer sports performance.
A lumbar sprain is a ligamentous injury involving the lumbar spine and the lower back’s five spinal bones (vertebrae)that sit atop the pelvis. A sprain is an injury where these ligaments are stretched beyond their functional capacity to withstand the load placed upon them. At times, they tear entirely. This is known as a grade 3 sprain and is usually surgical. These are differentiated from a strain because of the tissue type. A strain refers to muscle and tendon, though the mechanism of injury is similar. Often, the layperson and doctor alike will generally say that a person has sprained his back rather than give specifics, meaning a muscle strain could also be involved, which seems to be what the Texas Rangers have done in announcing Evan Carter’s injury.
Sprain/strain injuries are usually nagging only and do not require extensive treatment or surgery. One may choose to receive chiropractic or physical therapy in addition to rest and anti-inflammatory medication. Professional athletes have access to more than the average person, so additional treatments such as injections may be tried to allow the athlete to continue performing at the highest levels and recover quicker. However, the body heals as it heals, which is somewhat different for each individual. That being said, the standard time frame for low-grade sprains is up to four weeks, with two weeks being the most common. Taping and other measures may be taken to prevent reinjury when players return to the game. As the injury progresses in grades 1 to 3, the manner of treatment progresses as well. Grade 1 is the lowest and what people know as a common sprain injury. This appears to be what Carter has, causing the Rangers to permit him some rest over two weeks after initial efforts to rest him by playing him day-to-day proved unsuccessful.
The severity of the sprain injury likewise determines the athlete’s ability to perform. In baseball, a common sprain injury may require missing a game or a series. Depending on the body part and the activity, taping and other measures may allow the player to continue to play as the ligaments heal. However, it is not uncommon for even low-grade sprains to provide nagging pain that does not abate quickly and causes lingering effects on performance. This can also cause a delay in healing that causes more time to be missed. Therefore, a cautionary approach is best with any sprain and even more so if the healing appears to be slowed for any reason or if other concurrent factors may risk additional injury, such as a discal lesion in the back, as in the case of Evan Carter. It is unknown whether he has such an injury, but the risk for one increases and could lead to additional pain and deficits that the Rangers and Carter would undoubtedly like to avoid.
