It was only 18 months ago that the Rangers were riding bare-chested through Arlington, dropping mics and bathing in confetti as a crowd, hundreds of thousands deep, toasted them as World Champions. And yet it seems now like such a long time off.

Elizabethton native Evan Carter will not be on the starting line-up or the roster for the Texas Rangers on opening day. Rangers President of Baseball Operations Chris Young made the formal announcement to reporters before Tuesday afternoon’s exhibition game against the Kansas City Royals.

Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker have both made the opening day roster with the Texas Rangers, and the recent first-round draft picks will fill the final two spots in the rotation.