Nathan Eovaldi joins list of injured Texas Rangers starters

Nathan Eovaldi is the latest Texas Rangers pitcher headed to the injury list after exiting with right groin tightness during the sixth inning of the Rangers 6-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Thursday.

On Friday the Rangers added Eovaldi to the 15-day injured list.

“I think, what we’re talking about here is yeah, he may need some rest. That’s what we’re gonna find out, we’re gonna take care of him and do what’s right. So once we get the information we need and of course how he feels I can answer this better tomorrow,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said after Thursday’s game.

Eovaldi had been in peak form through the first six innings of the game, shutting out the Nationals on two hits through five and 1/3 innings.

However, after issuing a walk to Nicholas Senzel, Eovaldi only threw one pitch to Luis Garcia Jr. before Bochy, Mike Maddux and Matt Lucero went to the mound and removed him from the game.

The Rangers starting rotation has been especially hit hard by injuries with Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, Tyler Mahle and Cody Bradford all on the injured list.

Before the game, pitcher Dane Dunning had talked about what Eovaldi has brought to the Rangers pitching staff this season.

“The main thing is I think like Eovaldi has set a good tone for us, you know, starting with that first game and just going out to each start, I think he’s done a phenomenal job, even the days where his stuff isn’t there. He’s been able to battle and grind through and eat a lot of innings,” said Dunning.

Eovaldi had been pitching well going 2-2 with a 2.61 ERA.

The Texas native was sidelined last season for almost two months with a right forearm injury he suffered in July.

Eovaldi has been injured several times throughout his career suffering season-ending elbow inflammation in 2015, a torn flexor tendon and partly torn UCL the following season, lose bodies in his elbow during 2019 which limited him to 12 starts during the 2019 season and missed two months in 2022 with a back injury and a right shoulder injury.