Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi explains injury scare vs. Nationals

Almost every MLB team is dealing with injuries to their pitching staff during the 2024 season. Aces and relievers alike are dropping like flies and it is due to more than just arm injuries. Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi left his start on Thursday in the sixth inning after feeling tightness in his groin.

“It was just that one pitch, I went to throw it and I kind of felt it,” Eovaldi said post-game, per Bally Sports Southwest.

The Rangers played it safe with Eovaldi and elected to pull him from the game despite his friendly pitch count and utter dominance against the Washington Nationals. Eovaldi did not allow a run through 5.1 innings, tallying eight strikeouts with two walks and two hits.

The Rangers secured a 6-0 win for their second consecutive series win. Eovaldi’s start, though ended abruptly, pushed him into the top five in the American League in strikeouts and innings pitched.

Eovaldi is slated for an MRI on Friday. He is scheduled to start next Tuesday in Oakland.

“It’s early in the year, right?” Eovaldi said, per MLB.com. “We’ve got to make sure that we’re cautious with it and see how it feels tomorrow. It is very early in the year and again, the rotation, everybody’s firing on all cylinders right now. The bullpen is doing well. So we’ll just play it by ear.”

The Rangers have weathered the storm of pitching injuries they’ve been dealt. Texas has four starting pitchers on the injured list. It likely cannot afford to put Nathan Eovaldi there as well. He sounded optimistic, but the Rangers will treat this differently than a similar injury in August.

Just how many arms can the Rangers lose?