Rangers Reveal Ace Nathan Eovadli Getting Examined for New Injury

The Texas Rangers are sending their star pitcher, Nathan Eovaldi, out west for a consult on a recently revealed injury.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning at Globe Life Field. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers have a host of veterans on the injured list, and most will be ready for spring training. The belief is that pitcher Nathan Eovaldi will be too.

But the right-hander has a new injury to be concerned about, as revealed by the Rangers on Friday during their end-of-season press conference.

General manager Ross Fenstermaker announced that Eovaldi, who missed the final month of the season with a rotator cuff strain in his right arm, was heading to Arizona next week for a consult on a sports hernia, one that could require surgery.

Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers Injury Update

Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

It wasn’t made clear when Eovaldi suffered the injury. But Fenstermaker did indicate that Eovaldi’s rotator cuff is nearly healed and that won’t be an issue as he prepares for spring training. But the sports hernia could, especially if Eovaldi needs surgery.

Shortstop Corey Seager had two sports hernia surgeries in 2024, one on each side of his body. The first one happened in January of 2024 and did impact his ramp-up in spring training. Seager did not start the season on the injured list, but he played several games at designated hitter as he gradually worked into shape to play in the field.

Should Eovaldi need surgery, he could have that surgery earlier than Seager it could have less of an impact on his readiness for spring training. The Rangers put Eovaldi on the injured list on Aug. 27 with the rotator cuff strain. He also missed a month with right posterior elbow inflammation.

He was still one of the best pitchers in baseball, even though he didn’t quality for regular season leaderboards as he didn’t have enough innings pitched. He went 11-3 with a 1.73 ERA in 22 games and 130 innings. He struck out 129 and walked 21 while finishing with a 0.854 WHIP. He is under contract through 2027.

Fenstermaker had good news about the rest of the Rangers who finished the season on the injured list.

Seager ended the season after an emergency appendectomy and Fenstermaker said the Rangers expect him to have a normal offseason. He said the same for second baseman Marcus Semien, who suffered a foot fracture in August, and for outfielder Wyatt Langford, who ended the season with an oblique injury.

He said that first baseman Jake Burger’s wrist surgery was successful and that a six-to-eight-week recovery timetable is expected, followed by a normal hitting progression. Outfielder Evan Carter’s left wrist fracture is about 90% healed.

Left-handed pitcher Cody Bradford, who had elbow surgery earlier this season, is expected to be ready for spring training and right-hander Cole Winn is expected to participate in a normal offseason after being shut down late with a shoulder injury.

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