Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi of the Rangers was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a strain in his right groin, the team stated. In comparable action, fellow righty Yerry Rodríguez was recalled. The 34-year-old Eovaldi entered the game on Thursday but left due to discomfort in his groin. According to Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today, he appeared indifferent to the problem following the game, but the team made him an MRI appointment. Although the extent of the strain appears to have been discovered, nobody is aware of it.
No matter how long Eovaldi is off, the Rangers, who have a lot of rotation ailments, will find it difficult to fill his spot. Since both Tyler Mahle and Jacob deGrom had Tommy John surgery last year, the team has long known that they would miss large chunks of this season. Then, in the winter, Max Scherzer needed back surgery, which meant he would also begin the season on the injured list. Eovaldi is joining Cody Bradford on the IL after he was placed on the disabled list with a stress fracture to his ribs since the start of the season.
Because of his 2.61 earned run average this season, it will hurt to remove Eovaldi from the lineup. The team will be playing 10 games in nine days due to a scheduled doubleheader in Oakland this coming Wednesday, so his absence will be especially challenging during this time. They can start Andrew Heaney, Dane Dunning, Jon Gray, and Michael Lorenzen in the next four games for the time being. But starting Tuesday, they will need to find someone to take Eovaldi’s position in the lineup; then, starting Tuesday, they will need to find someone to open the twin bill.
On the major league roster, José Ureña has been hurling multi-inning outings from the bullpen. He might be used as a bulk pitcher in a bullpen game or as a starting option. Both Owen White and Jack Leiter are on the 40-man roster, but neither performed well on their prior call-ups this season. Scherzer had started a rehab assignment, but his progress has been hindered by some thumb soreness, and it’s not certain when he will finish it. Although Johnny Cueto recently inked a minor league contract, he hasn’t yet participated in a formal game. Although Shaun Anderson and Adrian Sampson are both stretched out at Triple-A, neither is currently on the 40-man roster.